DT Ghost Scene

In response to the ghost scene clips that we watched in class, they all did a good job in recreating the scene, though they were very different. In the Zeffirelli version of this scene, the director used the lighting and audio to play out the scene. The music was ominous and made the overall scene spooky for the viewer, and the lighting was always dark so the viewer could not see the ghost. The ghost in this version was wearing a cloak with a little armor showing. The entire scene was face shots of Hamlet and eventually the ghost when his face was revealed. This version was more of an emotional take on the scene. In the second version, or the Branagh version, the director went for a more horror-like approach. The ghost's voice is raspy and his figure is gigantic compared to Hamlet. The ghost was in full armor which only added to the fear factor the ghost gave off. The scene is bright enough to see but is very monotone, as compared to the vivid and colorful flashbacks used to tell the story. The third version of the scene has the biggest difference compared to the two others. The story in Almereyda's version takes place in modern times which is an interesting take on the story. In this scene the ghost is in a business suit, compared to the cloak and armor worn by the previous ghosts, and Hamlet lets the ghost into his room instead of Hamlet following the ghost. The lighting and sound is normal but an ominous feel is given off by the ghost due to body language and how he delivers his lines. There are also subtle motions which make the scene more creative, such as the ghost dabbing his ear with a cloth, which were all nice additions to the scene. The director in the version was going for a more dialogue-based approach to this scene. The version that I personally think was the best, was the Branagh version, due to the setting of the scene and the creepiness of the ghost itself. This version did the best job in recreating the scene from a scarier point of view and I like it the most because of that.