Macbeth

Rating:
Summary: The Best Thing Playboy Ever Had a Hand In
Review: I actually prefer this to the Nicol Williamson and Orson Wells versions of Macbeth. Polanski assembled a relatively unknown cast and got some great performances out of them. The cinematography is about as atmospheric as it gets. Polanski, as always, gets great visual results from his cinematographer. When one compares the results of this adaptation, financed by Playboy, with Caligula, fronted by Bob Guccione, one has to come away with at least some admiration for Heffner. At least he kept his hands off the production. This was Polanski circa the late 60's, about the time he filmed "The Fearless Vampire Killers "(one of my all-time favorite neglected masterworks), and before "Chinatown "(hardly neglected, yet exquisite direction, nevertheless). From "Macbeth's" opening frame on the bleak, windswept Scottish heath, to the closing image, this production is consistently stark( Even though it's not filmed in black-and-white, it feels like it is). It also contains one of the most moving cinematic treatments I've seen when conveying Macduff's agonizing sense of loss as he reacts to the report of Macbeth's attack upon his helpless family. Macduff's sense of self-recrimination as he admits he was not there to defend his wife and children (truly one of the most heart-rending moments in cinema history for me) comes across as genuine and heartfelt.

Polanski is a troubled genius, no doubt. Too bad his proclivities got in the way of his career as they did for Chaplin. We probably would have witnessed many more thought-provoking productions, akin to this one. PS:(Edited to note that Polanski indeed did return to form with THE PIANIST.)

Rating:
Summary: Shakespear was a screenwriter!
Review: This movie "turned me on" to Polanski. The story (by Will somebody) is fascinating, twisting, and, of course, ironic. But the biggest shocker is that the story is so well done and such an interesting story, you do almost forget it is Shakespear's language, almost as if Shakespear had collaborated on the movie in modern times. Brings Shakespear's story to life as no other Shakespear play has ever been in any film version I have seen. Incredible realism and atmosphere. A favorite movie!

Rating:
Summary: Why weren't they wearing kilts?
Review: If you're looking for the feel of the play without the tedious adherence to Shakespeare's words, this is for you. Everything but the last battle scene is a perfect representation of Shakespeare's original vision for the play. And of course the nudity. I'm not sure the Bard would have enjoyed the nudity. But other than that, I was quite pleased with the film as a whole.

Rating:
Summary: A Leap of Faith Payed Off
Review: A friend at work saw me reading Shakespeare on my lunch break. He complained that he couldn't wrap himself around the Bard, but he pointed out he hadn't read any Shakespeare since high school (he was now in his thirties). I pointed him at this rendition of Macbeth, and he was hooked.

I bought this video on a blind recommendation, a leap of faith that really paid off. Roman Polanski does what most other directors are afraid to do -- he treated the script like one that came over the transom yesterday, cutting and fitting to make it tell the story he wanted to tell. This was brave on his part, an untested method, a leap of faith that really paid off. Compare this to Branagh's Hamlet, in which the director was afraid to cut anything out, and created a product long enough to stultify even Cecil B. DeMille.

Some people complain about the violence. Bear in mind this was Polanski's first movie since the death of his wife, Sharon Tate, at the hands of the Manson cult. Some complain about the short shrift given the female characters. Polanski tried to tell a story about the murderous impulses in men; the women to him were storytelling devices. There are imperfections -- it was made by a human being after all -- but it's the best cinematic Shakespeare you're likely to get this side of resurrecting the Bard and getting him to direct it for you.

Rating:
Summary: As good as yer gonna get
Review: I like this film because it stuck to the text, didn't switch things around, had a good atmosphere to it, and was unflinching in its portrayal of Shakespeare's descent into the heart of evil. It's not for the kiddies. But then, the play isn't, either. A few minor quibbles, sure, but all in all a powerful cinematic experience which might show you the bard in a new light.

Rating:
Summary: MacBeth
Review: So foul and fair a film as this I have not seen. The dark landscape and eerie sound track perfectly capture the mood of tragedy. (How brilliantly ironic when good King Duncan, heading straight to his murder, proclaims "This castle hath a pleasant seat. The air nimbly and sweetly recomends itself unto our gentle senses.") Finch makes an excellent MacBeth. And I believe this 1971 version produced by Heffner is superior to the Orson Wells film (Banquo shouldn't tell MacBeth to his face that he doesn't trust the king -- shame on you Orson.) This is my favorite Shakespeare adaptation to film ever.

Rating:
Summary: True to the original
Review: Macbeth is true to the play and to the hard times it takes place in. No fluffy haired, toothpaste models lit by flourescence. Polanski captured the miserable living conditions of that era, and told a very realistic and entertaining story, with great direction and great acting on all accounts. I only wish this title recieved more respect. It would be great to see it on DVD widescreen, with a proper cover; one not depicting Banquo, that looks like it was thrown together as an afterthought.

Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's Classic Butchered
Review: Polanski's version of the tragedy is far too violent and senseless to be considered Shakespeare. In the tradition of Boorman's Excalibur, this film is made to attract a sleezy audience. Too much nudity, blood and gore, and an extreme emphasis on evil. Of course, it is true to the plot, but it's not the original vision Shakespeare had in mind. It's too disturbing. Perhaps I'm being too judgemental but I believe it is not fair that younger Shakespeare fans should be exposed to this. It is more adult, as is Excalibur, or at least at the High School level. Elementary and junior high students should not view this film.

Rating:
Summary: Faithful to Shakespeare...at last
Review: In high school and college I always based my term papers and studies on Shakespeare. The man was a literary genius, I don't think anyone will ever question that. And his themes are true and can be interpreted into modern times. I've been partial to his drama's, such as Hamlet and Julius Caesar. But my all time favorite has always been and always will be Macbeth. It's dark and unrelenting, the great Bard's one and only pulp "noir." Roman Polanski knows exactly what I'm talking about. He portrays Macbeth and all its characters like a James M. Caine original. The dark side of Shakespeare is, I'll grant you very dim. Polanski remains so faitful to Shakespeare that you might consider this to be a horror movie. And in a lot of ways it is. But its a pristene cinematic version of a Shakespeare classic. Some may argue that Welles did a better job. I won't disagree that his version was quite moving. Orson Welles is a hero of mine and a genius at that. But Polanski was given free reign by Columbia Pictures to make this picture perfect. So credit must be given where it is due. Watch this for the horror, for the thirll, for its poetry.

...Oh yeah, Hugh Hefner produced. You may notice this during Lady Macbeth's nightmare sequence.

Rating:
Summary: Bravo! A non-Freudian performance.
Review: Polanski's Macbeth is highly successful in resisting the modern tendency to present Macbeth solely through a pychological lens. Whether intended or not, this film remains more true to the historical Shakespeare in that this Macbeth is motivated by opportunity, impulse, greed and power. Furthermore, through it's sensual treatment of necromancy, the witches have reclaimed their historical relevance to the play and culture of the times, while most modern versions have tended to dismiss the witches as only a babbling chorus for Macbeth's madness. (I highly recommend reading Witches & Jesuits: Shakespeare's Macbeth by Garry Willis)