I got stuck in a Pinterest-Google feedback loop instead.Īlso, this red gown is intriguing. Here, it appears that the pendilia are interpreted as earrings in most of the scenes where Gertrude is shown wearing them.Īnnoyingly, I wasn’t able to track down the source of this illumination. I am always grateful when my huge network of medieval nerdists can deliver me the accurate term for some obscure thing in under five minutes. BTW, pendilia is what you call those hangy-down bits that frequently accompany Byzantine crowns. The elements of many of Gertrude’s outfits could be summed up as “Byzantine by way of the 12th century.” The heavily jeweled and embroidered gowns feature pendant sleeves (12th century), a strong bliaut vibe in terms of fit (late 12th century), and long earrings/pendilia. So, let’s examine the costumes! Gertrude – Glenn Close
I say “roughly” because, as you will see, there are elements in the clothing that could go either way. Costume designer Maurizio Millenotti, long-time collaborator of Franco Zeffirelli, clearly drew inspiration from other eras as well, such as the Byzantine and Burgundian, pulling together a surprisingly cohesive look. His Hamlet is set in medieval Denmark and based on the clothes it is reasonable to assume the date is roughly 12th- to 14th-century.
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I think Zeffirelli achieved the ideal balance between sacrificing accuracy (in terms of script and the overall aesthetic) and being faithful to both history and the overarching story. Hell, I’m 38 and I am still hesitant to watch Branagh’s Hamlet (1996) because I don’t know if I commit to 240 minutes of anything, let alone Shakespeare. He wanted to create a leaner, meaner, sexier Melancholy Dane that would draw in kids like me, whose ADD attention spans might not have been totally up for the four-hour slog of Hamlet the unexpurgated, but were still smart enough to not be pandered to with a dumbed-down pap. I’m not sure if we should thank Zeffirelli or not…Īnyway, I loved this version of Hamlet as a teenager and that was pretty much Zeffirelli’s intent with this film. Yes, the director everyone loves for giving us the definitive screen version of Romeo and Juliet (1969) also delivered unto us the first Serious Actor Mel Gibson vehicle, paving the way for Braveheart and The Patriot (which are essentially the same movie).
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