The Tragedy of Macbeth--shown in the U.S. as Macbeth (1971)--was scripted and directed by Roman Polanski. Shakespeare's great play can be readily adapted to the screen, but it takes a master director like Roman Polanski to bring something more to what Shakespeare has written.Polanski has done some obvious things--opened up the play with vast, gloomy vistas along the coastline and the heath, and expanded the fight scenes. However, he's done some unpredictable, creative things as well. For example, the scenes with the "weird sisters" and their coven are brilliant. The scene of the murders at Macduff's castle are horrifying, and probably inspired by the brutal murder of Polanski's wife Sharon Tate by the Manson gang.Many directors can depict medieval scenes with the requisite mud, filth, and primitive objects. But, in my opinion, Polanski is a genius at this. The settings don't look carefully created with just the right amount of mud, animals, and slop. They look as if they exist in reality, not just for the purposes of the camera. This realism really worked for me, and enhanced the plot and the acting.The acting is excellent--especially by Jon Finch as Macbeth and Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth. (Annis performed the sleepwalking scene in the nude, which was considered noteworthy in 1971, but appears pretty tame in 2014.)Special note: Paul Shelley plays Donalbain, King Duncan's younger son. Donalbain disappears from Shakespeare's play after Duncan's murder. Polanski depicts Donalbain as having a pronounced limp. Polanski did this for a reason, which will become clear when you see the movie.We saw the film on Criterion DVD, where it worked well. However, if you can see it in a theater, it will be even more rewarding.

Macbeth is the film which is more Polanski than Shakespeare from the late 70s. The story might be faithful to the play but there are few changes and few little disturbing points. It is starred by John Finch as Macbeth and Francesca Anis as Lady Macbeth. As Polanski directed it, the darker part of the play was shown much of it. For the family audiences or the student audiences the censored version should be shown. The plot is about a thane of Cawdor, Scotland whose encounter with the witches and support of his mistress let his ambition to misguidance. Therefore it leads through such tragedy that creates a disturbingly painful tone. The acting is the important part of the Shakespeare play. John Finch and Anis played justice to their roles. The disturbing point for us Asians is the nudity of the witches; the little child who was showering nude plus the epic battle scenes in which Macbeth's head was cut. The soliloquy was replaced as inner monologues to make it more realistic. The scenes foreshadow the cut from the text. There are some characters which were developed rather than the play. The music were suitable at the 70s but a weak point if you go to the post-modern period. The music shows the dramatic picture and the film made more historical. It shows from the protagonist's view as most Polanski's films do. The set design was rough and dry as the atmosphere of the play. The rain also symbolizes dark prediction of the film. Lady Macbeth's acting was brilliant. The direction was superb and the camera angle grabs the attention of the viewers. Overall, the story is more of the play but it's not for the family audiences. But it was the best Macbeth adaptation and there was no option to find the alternatives. It's a four hour film like Hamlet. It's also a must watch for adult Shakespearean viewers.

Roman Polanski's MACBETH, a movie that really doesn't seem to fit as a great Shakespearean tragedy but rather as a grab for power in a den of criminals. If it hadn't been for the large army & the inclusion of the English as a party of interest you would never know that this involved a king & a kingdom.The lords are mainly ignorant & subject to their perceived lusts. Macbeth himself appears as a weak fool that latches onto augury as an excuse to perform his evil deeds. Having then done even one his mind breaks as he piles misjudgment on misjudgment on further augury. His wife, again a person of weak character & mental fortitude, basically piles shame on her husband's weakness only to snap suddenly and disappear into madness.There's no hero here, no divine justice or claim to honor. A bad man seeks & obtains that which he is unfit for. He is brought down by his enemies banding together as one would expect. The language is that of Shakespeare but the characters speaking them do not seem to be. A good king is destroyed by an evil & ambitious man who is destroyed by the good king's people in defense of their homes & selves. Still, there are some great lines such as "by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." The storyline is Shakespearean but the movie doesn't convey it well.It is interesting to note that the only characters in this story that get what they want are the witches. They wanted Duncan gone & whiz-bang, he is removed without them lifting a finger. I give it 3.5 Amazon stars for Polanski's direction & the wonderful dark images used throughout. Macbeth is not Hamlet but it is an OK told tale in this case. For those interested in battle scenes the personal combat at the end is striking!

I remember being taken to see this, and I didn't like it - the approach seemed too gory and sensational, whereas Macbeth demands the creepy and Gothic.I just went and watched it again - I still feel the same way, in fact I only made it half-way through. Polanski has chosen to go for cheap thrills and gore, not dealing with the deeper themes. He did a much more profound job with Repulsion, which I consider to be his masterpiece.As for Macbeth, the best version is Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (Kumonosu Jo), which is a masterpiece in every way.