The three versions of The Ghost Scene were not only very different from each other, but left different impressions on the audience.
In the first version, (Zeffirelli) the audience was left feeling very connected with the emotions that Hamlet was experiencing. Gibson portrayed Hamlet as being very scared, surprised and in shock while he interacts with the ghost of his father. The camera work shows only the faces of the actors to make it feel very personal. The colors were cool and dark, and gave it an eerie feeling. Only when Hamlet was angry and wanting revenge on his uncle, was when there were warm colors. This added to the emotions the audience feels while watching. Hamlet's father had almost a shadow over.him so you couldn't see him clearly, and he did not have any armor on. I think that this version feels the most realistic to the setting, and I like it the best.
The Branagh version used many special effects, such as music and sounds and pictures flashing which make the audience feel as if Hamlet is panicked. His father's ghost speaks very fast in a monotone, cold voice. It seems scary at first, almost. When he explains how his brother was responsible for his murder to Hamlet, (and throughout the clip) everything is acted out with bright colors. It makes it seem as if those were happier times, rather than the cold colors used in the present. The ghost had armor on, like written in the play. I did not enjoy this version as much, because I feel like all the special effects take away from the play and the meaning in it. It's almost too artificial.
The Almereyda version had the least of the special effects and was very humanistic. Hamlet's father looked like a normal person, and was speaking normally. In the background, there was a television showing anarchy and scenes that looked like war and destruction, but had warm colors, such as red. I enjoyed this version, but I prefer when plays are true to the time setting instead of modernized.
