#imagine looking through your letter box and just seeing Rik Mayall's face

[jemthespud]

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[musingsofableedingheart]

Horror Hamlet

Hamlet is my favourite Shakespeare play, which has been the case since high school. I’ve seen many interpretations of Hamlet over the years. I remember seeing Heavy Metal Hamlet in the Botanic Gardens in Brisbane when I was still at school, which left a lasting impression. I saw Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 version of Hamlet in the cinema, which no doubt has influenced my interpretation.

I've been going through some old boxes, and found some journals from school, hence my nostalgic mood. 

Do you have a favourite teacher from your school years that you still think about fondly? Well, my favourite teacher was Ms Poulsen. She had purple hair, loved Joy Division and let us stencil poetry on the classroom wall. She was very encouraging, passionate and an inspirational teacher. I still have the letter she wrote to me at the end of grade 12, and the bookmark she picked for me personally. She really cared about her students.

Ms Poulsen set us a task in grade 12 English to interpret Hamlet and write in our journal the ideas outlining our film version of Hamlet as director of the production.

In August 1998, when I was 17, I wrote my Director’s Address, which I’ve had a kick out of reading today, and I thought others might too.

‘The vision of Hamlet that I intend to direct is an R18+ horror film. Hamlet is a particularly violent play so far as the emotions of some of the characters express. 

I wish to bring this out with sound and special effects. For example, the scene in which Polonius is slain by Hamlet, Hamlet could cut Polonius’ head off so that blood splatters on the walls and his head rolls off, and in his last breath of life the head attempts to bite Hamlet’s leg. His jaws clamp on tight and are difficult for Hamlet to remove [I was a bit obsessed with Jaws]. Gertrude may be hysterically screaming for what she has witnessed, and horror that Hamlet would turn on her next. 

Words spoken to Claudius by Hamlet could be ones of complete verbal abuse - swearing, intimidation and veins popping in the neck. Hamlet could be a chain smoker displaying the stereotypical belief that people smoke in order to calm their nerves. 

When Ophelia drowns it may be a struggle to survive with ranting and raving. 

The final scene in which people are poisoned could induce projectile vomiting and blood spurting out of the mouth and ears. Violent palpitations could follow death. The room in which Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius and Hamlet are poisoned would be covered in vomit and blood.

The cast of my film version of Hamlet, if I had a choice and availability of any actor/actress I wish, would be the following: Hamlet - Gary Oldman; Ophelia - Jennifer Ehle; Claudius - Warren Clarke; Gertrude - Emma Thompson; Polonius - John Malkovich; Laertes - Rowan Atkinson (snobbish); Fortinbras - Robert Carlyle; Horatio - John Hannah, Rosencrantz - Rik Mayall; Guildenstern - Adrian Edmondson; and Ghost - Alan Rickman (evil voice).

My interpretation of the play Hamlet is that is is a play of death, the pursuit of death and violence which accompanies death. That is why I have chosen, as director, to make a horror film out of the play. I will be exaggerating the violence which exists so that a horror film will be developed.

My interpretation of the motivations of the characters is as follows: Hamlet is motivated by the thought of murdering his uncle; Ophelia is motivated by the love she feels for her family and Hamlet; Claudius is motivated by money, power and Gertrude; Gertrude is motivated by her duty as mother to Hamlet and Queen of Denmark; Polonius is motivated by gaining power and trust in the royal family of Denmark; Laertes is motivated firstly, by returning to France and secondly, by avenging his father’s murder; Fortinbras is motivated by gaining the territory his father lost and by physical violence (pursues war); Horatio is motivated by protecting his best friend Hamlet; R & G are motivated by sucking up to the royal family possibly in hope for gaining an important position; and the Ghost is motivated by ensuring that Hamlet kills Claudius.

My vision for the production of Hamlet in terms of costumes and set is that the costumes be for Hamlet dark and flamboyant. I think I desire something similar to that of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (directed by Francis Ford Coppola), of that period.

Dracula was published in 1897, so I imagine the period which will inspire the costumes for my production of Hamlet will be 19th century.

I thought Winona Ryder was beautiful in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, however I wish to cast Jennifer Ehle starring alongside Gary Oldman as Ophelia. The costumes of Mina in Dracula will be idea for Ophelia with Ehle’s face.

Ehle recently acted in Wilde - Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde were friends!

The castle at Elsinore shall me Gothic in architecture, dark and overwhelming. The rest of the characters will be dressed in 19th century costumes with red as the underlying colour. The Gothic castle I have in mind is of the 12th - 13th century in stone.

To make Hamlet a horror film, certain areas in the plot must be emphasised. The appearance of the Ghost in the opening scene must be absolutely terrifying. Bernardo, Francisco, Marcellus and Horatio must behave as though they truly believe that the Ghost is going to kill them in the most gruesome manner. To make this possible, Alan Rickman’s voice must be at its deadliest and face at his scariest. The special effects must create a feeling of hell fire when the audience views the Ghost for the first time. Devil creatures and demons will surround the Ghost as he has just come from hell itself. A transparent image of Hamlet’s fathers head with dry blood at the ears (where the poison was poured) would be rather shocking. The Ghost must be forceful and threatening on the point that his murder must be avenged.

This is the image of hell I portrayed in my journal, with a rubbing of Alan Rickman’s face at the centre and Norman Lindsay’s hellish creatures and Norman Lindsay’s self portrait at the top left

In Act II Scene IV when Hamlet meets the Ghost of his father he must be amazed at the transformation of a person he once knew into some kind of monster [I too was surprised when Metallica released their song of the same name in 2003]. This idea and the entrance of the evil spirit into Hamlet’s soul encourages him to do all that he can to rid the world of his uncle. However, struggle ensues within Hamlet as to how far he shall go for his father’s spirit without acting completely immorally which is against his nature. The Ghost consumes him during acts of violence, such as, in Act III Scene IV when Polonius is slain.

In Act IV Scene V when Ophelia goes mad she must behave out-of-control. The nature of her madness turns to extreme violence to anyone who comes close to her. She bangs her head against the floor and walls and she leaves howling in pain. Her death in drowning is one of thrashing and violence. Screams which penetrate the soul and thanks to the grand sound effects make the audience disbelieve that Ophelia is the same person. Blood spurts from her wounds due to the intensity of her screams and thrashing about.

Act V Scene II the last scene of the play is filled with horror to the climax of the play. The poisoning of Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius and Hamlet involves projectile vomiting and blood spurting out of the mouth and ears. Possibly due to the ingredients of the poison. Violent palpitations follow death.

The camera techniques must involve crystal clear images and many close-up shots of Hamlet’s face so that expressions are important. Swift movement in times of murder and violence will build the effect.

The problem in doing this is justifying the amount of violence. For an audience in 1998 to make Hamlet original and intriguing for this audience, to believe a horror film would be an excellent way to do this, and attract a younger audience who may not wish to be bored by lengthy 4 hour versions which have previously been put out! This does not mean that I do not admire and enjoy the Kenneth Branagh version.’

If you’ve read to this point, thank you for going on this journey down memory lane with me. This month I’m thinking about identity for GLAM Blog Club, and looking into my past is part of my efforts to prepare for writing a blog about myself and who I am.