Macbeth [1971]

Brutally medieval in portrayal and attitude, this is a grim telling of a grim tale which captivated me entirely. At once theatrical, stunningly visual and historically believable, Polanski for me has not only done full justice to the language and drama of the work but has presented the rugged, uncertain, internecene way of life of the period so starkly that the devices of the play are seen in a truly medieval light... this production has been described as vicious, brutal, visceral... well, it is, but above all I find it credible. I think, to date, that I cannot identify a better screen production of a Shakespeare work.

If anyone still believes that The Bard does not translate to the modern age, this film should be prescribed!


Macbeth - Roman Polanski's film   January 31, 2003
28 out of 29 found this review helpful

Anyone who considers Shakespeare boring would be well advised to watch this film. It is not for the fainthearted and it may give you nightmares, but it is gripping as it gathers pace towards the final white-knuckle-ride climax. The Olivier-type 'Shakespeak' which the actors use is rather jarring at times but it is well compensated for by the atmosphere created by Polanski and supported by music of the ethereal Third Ear Band. Martin Shaw steals the show with his portrayl of Banquo supported, suprisingly well, by a rather youthful Keith Chegwin playing his son. Cheggers escapes the clutches of Macbeth's murderous assassins unlike his father who returns as a spectre to haunt Macbeth.

As a youth I worked as an extra in this film, one of the many trees forming Birnam Wood approaching Dunsinane Castle. This involved many of us carrying a christmas tree across the moors of North Northumberland many times in adverse weather conditions. Everyone was cold and wet most of the time with interminable hanging around between shoots usually while 'Leo' with his smoke gun kept falling off his motorbike into peat bogs (mist features heavily in this film). Contrary to the sleeve notes, many of the scenes were filmed in the stunning scenery of Northumberland, including Lindisfarne Castle and Bamburgh Castle.

A must for GCSE students in my opinion to fire the enthusiasm for this play, the name of which must not be uttered!


One of Polanski's best   October 8, 2005
Trevor Willsmer (London, England)
20 out of 23 found this review helpful

A flop in its day, Polanski's MacBeth now looks more and more like one of his finest achievements. Unlike many Shakespeare adaptations, Polanski opts for clarity and accessibility rather than elocutionary gymnastics, providing a brisk narrative and staging it with a real cinematic imagination that prevents it from ever becoming stage bound.

It's set in a believable, gritty world where the setting sun makes the very sands look bathed in blood and overcast skies and harsh elements provide an appropriate setting for betrayal and violence - LOTS of violence. Despite moments of black humour, it's pretty obvious what Polanski is trying to get out of his system in scenes of brutal murder or the ripping of MacDuff from his mother's womb. Francesca Annis doesn't quite scale the heights of madness as Lady MacBeth, but Jon Finch and Martin Shaw do well by MacBeth and Banquo and the supporting performances are pleasingly naturalistic. The use of location is excellent and well-served by Gilbert Taylor's Scope photography, while Third Eye Blind's scoring is surprisingly apt. Definitely one of the best Shakespeare screen adaptations, and a real movie as well.

The 2.35:1 transfer is for the most part excellent, although the only extra is a trailer for the film.


Should be required viewing at school   January 8, 2006
Dr. C. D. Connaughton (London, London United Kingdom)
19 out of 20 found this review helpful

I saw this film in the cinema years ago, but the impression it left on me is still with me.

The previous reviews express my view quite well. This film is, for me, the quintessential Macbeth. Everything is spot-on. The acting is so good, one forgets that it is Shakespeare, productions of whom usually have for me a 'stagey' feel about them.

Pictorially it is entrancing, and there is that sense of the poetic in the gothic aspect of the tale, the evil of Macbeth, and the three witches, whom I just love, along with Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth.

The story is, of course, exciting but the appeal of the actors and actresses, and the production make it enjoyable at many other levels. I tended to empathise considerably with the main protagonists, although they are 'the villains of the piece'. This speaks well of the acting and the direction, and it makes the film more involving.

Polanski excelled himself in this work!


The definitive Macbeth   February 23, 2005
dragondrums (Ingleby Barwick, United Kingdom)
17 out of 25 found this review helpful

This is an outstanding production starring Jon Finch as the murderous Macbeth, a young Francesca Annis as his coldly ambitious wife, and Martin Shaw as Banquo, Macbeth's loyal friend. When this movie was released there was a fair amount of controversy due to what was seen as excessive violence and nudity. However the violence and nudity is not gratuitous and does add to the mood of this darkest of plays. The cinematography is atmospheric and portrays a brooding menace that perfectly fits the story about a man determined to be King and who will not stop at murder to gain the crown.
Although the play is not filmed in its entirety, some scenes are missing, only the purists will complain. There is still enough of the play for anyone who likes Shakespeare and it is a great introduction to 'The Scottish Play' for anyone who hasn't read it. Roman Polanski's Macbeth is bloody and violent, but then so is the Bards play.