To Be Or Not To Be

After reviewing all of the "To Be or Not To Be" scenes, I have witnessed good tries and I have witnessed bad. Although each director portrayed the scene as their own I feel as though they did not fully live up to the 'expectations', if you will, of the speech itself. Yes, all of the pieces had their own take on it, but that does not mean they succeeded in what they have as a result. 

In Oliver's version of the soliloquy was very slowly and dramatically told. The only two parts that I actually liked about it was the fact that he was thinking for part of it and that he had the dagger with him and was contemplating about it. Personally, I do not like how it was in black or white nor do I like that he reminded me of a mermaid throughout the majority of it (I was a little freaked out). An interesting thing that the actor did was when he was talking about being a coward, he started out towards the edge of where he was standing but moved back to a safer spot. In this clip I think that the most effective aspect of it was when he was talking about being a coward because it portrays what he meant by backing out last minute due to overthinking. 

In Zeffrelli's version, the scenery was, again, very dark (I couldn't really see the props or background that much but that could be just from my seat) and eerie; if I didn't know better I would think it was a horror movie. The scene took place in a tomb which I really liked because it was showing how Hamlet was observing the deceased people and was "talking" to them. He was also having almost an internal debate at the start and then gradually it became external as he became more engrossed in the speech. This actor (I think Mel Gibson?) had a lot of emotion which I really liked because you were able to understand where he was coming from which I find very important. At a certain point in the scene, Hamlet was on his knees while he was talking-almost as if he was praying. The most effective part of this piece was that he was talking to the dead people because it shows that he was thinking more and more about it. 

I didn't like Branaugh's version that much for the fact that Hamlet was talking very softly and I couldn't understand what he was saying. I enjoyed how he was staring into the mirror while talking but I wish it was different scenery; something more intense and private because if someone had walked in (I know it's not in the ply but still!) then his entire speech would have been ruined. I did not like how the music just randomly started playing because it's almost as if it came out of no where. I like how he has the knife with him and how he was showing it to himself and observing it in the mirror but I did not like the ending. Yes, it almost had me at the edge of my seat but it annoyed me to a certain point, I'm not exactly sure why though-just something about it. Honestly, nothing really stood out to me as "effective" in this piece, sorry. 

In the last version by Almereyda, it took place in a blockbuster and Hamlet would just walk up and down the aisles labeled "action" while saying the soliloquy in his head. I liked how while he was "thinking" the speech, the television had clips of things blowing up because it almost signified what he was thinking in his head. From what I witnessed, the actor did not portray a lot of emotion which I do not like because then I am not able to understand the character and his feelings and it makes it boring. With this scene, I do not have a lot to say due to the fact that not a lot happened, he was just walking and saying the speech. Needless to say, I was not a fan of this scene but I liked how it was based in blockbuster, I thought it was clever.