... Franco Zeffirelli film, while similar to the Olivier in setting, is otherwise completely different in tone, theme, and manner. The character of Fortinbras and all things related have been removed. Effectively, this cuts down a significant portion of dialogue. The film opens with a funeral for old king Hamlet. Young Hamlet, played by Mel Gibson, wearing a dark cloak and hood pours a handful of dirty into ... the stone coffin. His manner suggests and accentuates a theme of madness that will later in the movie become central to the tone. The first words spoken are a slight modification of ...

• Word Count: 1694
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School