King Hamlets brother, Claudius takes the throne and marries his wife. This a brief synopsis of the play Hamlet is the son of King Hamlet who died before the play begins. I have chosen to compare this play to Michael Almereyda's film made in 2000 that is a modern interpretation of the original text and was an attempt to do to Hamlet what Baz Luhrman did to Romeo and Juliet.
Initially produced for a theatrical release, this Hamlet made its American debut as a cable TV miniseries on the Odyssey Channel, beginning December 10, 2000.Shakespeare's famous revenge tragedy Hamlet is a story of unrelenting twists and thrills of madness and revenge. In addition to the actors' lilting interpretation of the Shakespearean dialogue and soliloquies, the film boasts a truly exciting climactic duel, shot in long takes without the use of stunt doubles. Whatever the case, Scott does a remarkable job with a tiny budget and a slim 29-day shooting schedule.
Other innovations, notably the use of slow jazz music throughout the action, and Hamlet's violent treatment of poor Ophelia during the "Get thee to a nunnery" scene, were not so enthusiastically received. Some of the choices made by Scott in adapting Hamlet to the screen - the turn-of-the-century setting the utilization of black actors in the roles of Polonius, Ophelia, and Laertes (who is played by Roger Guenveur Smith) the casting of Byron Jennings to play both the Ghost of Hamlet's father and the Player King, who pretends to be the father - were applauded by the critics. Caught in the middle of this intrigue is Hamlet's lady love, Ophelia ( Lisa Gay Hamilton), daughter of Claudius' chief consul, Polonius (played in the manner of a protocol-conscious Victorian diplomat by Roscoe Lee Browne). Part of this scheme involves Hamlet's feigned descent into madness - which, as interpreted by Scott, may not be as "feigned" as he thinks it is. Though his desire for revenge is strong, Hamlet does not want any more bloodshed, and concocts an elaborate scheme to "catch the conscience" of Claudius and force him into a confession. Updated to 1900 New York, the text remains substantially the same as it has always been: Hamlet ( Scott), the "melancholy" Danish prince, discovers to his horror that his late father, the King, was murdered by his brother (and Hamlet's uncle) Claudius ( Jamey Sheridan), who upon ascending to the throne, added insult to injury by wedding Hamlet's mother, Gertrude ( Blair Brown). The film is based on Scott's earlier theatrical production of the same play, with several of the same actors repeating their same roles. Campbell Scott is both star and co-director of this elaborate (albeit economically produced) four-hour TV version of Shakespeare's immortal tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.