For example, after deciding not to kill Claudius, Hamlet is seen exiting a theatre that was showcasing The Lion King. Thus, a number of references are made to earlier adaptations of the same play. As for the latter, one may reach the conclusion that Almereyda makes for a very self-aware film one that is aware of Shakespeare’s standing as the ultimate cultural icon. This perhaps signifies Hamlet’s bleak take on the world – a supposition that is emboldened since Hamlet’s funeral is also shot in the same style. As an example of the former, Hamlet’s ‘ introspective world’ is shot in grainy footage of black and white, which contrasts with the natural colours of the physical world. Such a characterization allows meta-comments both on film-making and the cultural iconography surrounding the play itself. Ethan Hawke’s Hamlet is a film director, and through his videos, seeks an understanding of loss, and retain of vestige of control. Technology, and its narcissistic use, is a recurring motif for Hamlet’s character in the movie. What separates Hamlet 2000 from these films is the amount of improvisation used, which led some critics to label it as the ‘ Jazz Hamlet’.
However, a similar creative decision has been taken by other filmmakers in films such as Romeo+Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing. The result was discordant for some commentators. To show the pervasive use of technology in people’s everyday lives, the ‘Mousetrap’ play is now recorded by Hamlet in the form of a video diary or ‘ vlog’.Īlthough the setting used is modern, Almereyda retained most of the original Shakespearean dialogue. The theme of surveillance in a capitalistic nation is further supplemented by the use of such technology as surveillance bugs, close-circuit TVs and the tabs kept by internet media. This reflects that the seat of power has shifted to companies who exercise it through crony-capitalism. For example, Claudius in this version steps up to become the CEO of ‘Denmark Corporation’, a technology-driven multi-national corporation that specializes in media and surveillance. In transposing the backdrop of Hamlet to the modern times, he used many a clever substitution. Michael Almereyda’s 2000 film ‘Hamlet’ or ‘ Hamlet 2000’ was truly one for the new millennium.
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