A clock is heard chiming the half-hour in Westminster chimes. If chiming clocks were invented at the time of the action they wouldn't sound the Westminster chimes which date only - as the name suggests - from the installation of the Big Ben clock in 1859.
The trumpets making fanfares and announcements for the king and queen use very delicate, multi-layered harmonies. This is pure Hollywood, and would become a convention for many years in both ancient and medieval stories on film. They provide a lush musical punctuation that never existed, and still doesn't, other than in certain military band performances.
(At about 54:20) When Polonius touches a curtain in the background, he turns and addresses Claudius or Ophelia, but for a few seconds, his mouth is moving with no dialogue, until "Let's withdraw, my lord," is finally heard.
(At about 24:10) While Polonius talks to Ophelia by an arched doorway, at one point his mouth opens in speech, but there is no dialogue.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
