Thursday, July 14, 2016

GRAVEYARD MONTAGE (Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, Laertes, Ophelia)

The gravedigger goes back to work singing in the background. Hamlet quietly peruses the skull for a time.

HAMLET (V.O.)
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him - a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?


Now Hamlet speaks out loud.

HAMLET
Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favor she must come; make her laugh at that.

Hamlet repeats his line - Make her laugh at that - and then he laughs loudly. CU of the skull as Hamlet's laughter rings and seems to come from the skull itself.

INT. GERTRUDE'S ROOM NIGHT


Gertrude stands in front of her mirror wearing a negligee. She studies her aging body with fear and concern (behind her a whisper "Make her laugh at that"). She puts on lipstick.


INT. MORGUE


CU of lipstick being applied to the dead body of Ophelia which lies on a slab. She is being dressed and made up for burial. Laertes enters the room and makes everyone leave. He touches Ophelia's face.


INT. GERTRUDE'S ROOM


CLAUDIUS moves into view in the mirror behind Gertrude. He begins to touch her gently but passionately and he slowly begins to caress her over her negligee. Gertrude is ashamed of herself, ashamed of her body, ashamed of her guilty flesh that cannot help but lust. Slowly, she gives in and finds herself in a passionate kiss.


EXT. GRAVEYARD


Hamlet sits in the graveyard dazed still holding the skull of Yorick. His ruminations on death have sunk him and he is beyond even his madness now in his powerless despair.


INT. GERTRUDE'S ROOM


CLAUDIUS is now fervently kissing Gertrude. He pushes her back on the bed and looks at her intensely as he puts his hand on her face and on her lips. He slows down because he feels some resistance but she suddenly pulls him down to her.


INT. MORGUE

Laertes caresses Ophelia's dead face. He puts his fingers on her lips and his intense pain overwhelms him.


EXT. GRAVEYARD


Hamlet caresses the skull of the one friend he has ever trusted on the earth.


INT. GERTRUDE'S ROOM


CLAUDIUS and Gertrude are passionately making love.


INT. MORGUE


Laertes now has his fingers around his sister's neck as he did in the earlier scene where he half-threatened her and his entire body has tightened in anger.


EXT. GRAVEYARD


Hamlet's face with an expression of self-loathing, ironic mockery of his own feelings. Too many emotions to chart or describe. Another explosion of his bitter laughter.


INT. GERTRUDE'S ROOM


Laughter continues and turns into moans of pleasure as Gertrude and Claudius finish. Claudius rolls off her and Gertrude's face reveals her mixed emotions.



INT. MORGUE

Laertes explodes in anger and runs out of the morgue.


A slashing guttural piece of music punctuates a quick fade to black.

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