Two popular film renditions of Shakespeare's great tragedy Hamlet present us with two very different interpretations of the title role. In the first act of each we come to know Franco Zeffirelli's Hamlet, played by Mel Gibson, as authentic, believable, never exaggerated and not altogether puzzling; in stark contrast, Kenneth Branagh directs and plays a Hamlet who is fantastic, larger than life, intensely tortured, and enigmatic. Arguably Zeffirelli's interpretation, taken on a purely literal level, is more true to the playwright's intent (regardless of its fairly free rearranging and cutting of lines and passages); yet for that his Hamlet is somewhat lacking in the complexity of character so central to the drama. Branagh's Hamlet, although initially less plausible, ultimately draws us in toward the real themes of the play in a much more convincing and satisfying way.

The first and most immediately obvious contrast between the two films is that of setting, illustrating the main point of this essay. While Zeffirelli remains historically faithful to the text at a literal level, Branagh's nineteenth-century setting, retaining all the claustrophobic hierarchical qualities of

Sits smiling to my heart (I.ii.121-4)

A pronounced difference between the two Hamlets is the way they interact with those around them. This difference has profound effects both on the development of tension and on the complexity of the interpretation of the character. Zeffirelli's somewhat sulky Prince of Denmark often speaks very directly to those he is addressing. With Branagh we get the sense that his words are muttered as much for his own benefit as for anyone else's, emphasising the turmoil present within his mind. A good example is Hamlet's first line, spoken in the presence of Claudius: "A little more than kin, and less than kind (I.ii.65)." The line is sullen in tone as spoken by Gibson, whereas Branagh's voice-over, though unexpected, immediately establishes a troubled internal monologue. And while the king appears obviously unsettled in the former, the audience is invariably more unsettled by the latter. Responding to his mother later in the same scene with "Aye, madam, it is common (I.ii.74)," the same contrast is evident. Zeffirelli has Hamlet accuse Gertrude face to face, while Branagh spits the line almost under his breath without making eye contact. Branagh's rendering, emphasising the rift between Hamlet and his mother, actually causes more dramatic tension since each must suffer separately with the ironic implications. The audience is perturbed not just by what Hamlet says, but also by the extent to which each character is alone.

Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet is intense and larger than life, as are many aspects of his cinematic interpretation. But

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