Macbeth

Film versions of Macbeth

"From its supernatural opening to its gruesome climax, Macbeth is the Shakespeare play that reads most like a film script."

Daniel Rosenthal, Shakespeare on Screen.

Macbeth directed by Orson Welles (1948)
A low budget production filmed in just over 3 weeks which Welles called "a violently sketched charcoal drawing of a great play." Welles was an actor, director, writer and producer with stage and radio drama experience who loved stories that told of the corruption of powerful men. Passionate that Shakespeare's plays should be enjoyed and acted, not just read, he channelled great energy in a long career into filming Shakespeare's plays. His Macbeth murders Duncan in a trance-like state and thereafter uses alcohol to deaden his senses, sobering up only to face death at the hands of Macduff, leading Daniel Rosenthal to note that "this Macbeth is only half in control of his personality."

Cast includes Orson Welles (Macbeth) and Jeanette Nolan (Lady Macbeth).

For discussion:
Using examples, discuss ways in which Welles combines techniques from theatre, film and radio to tell the story of Macbeth's rise and fall.

Macbeth directed by Roman Polanski (1971)
Roman Polanski made this realistically violent film two years after his heavily pregnant wife (the actress Sharon Tate) was brutally murdered by followers of hippy cult leader Charles Manson. In gruesome detail this film depicts murders which happen off stage in Shakespeare's play. Filmed on location in England and Wales, and at Shepperton Studios, Polanski's version gained notoriety for its naked witches and nude sleepwalking scene.

Cast includes Jon Finch (Macbeth); Francesca Annis (Lady Macbeth).

For discussion:
Polanski cut Shakespeare's text, re-ordered some scenes and invented others. What does this add to or take away from Shakespeare's stage play?

Macbeth directed by Trevor Nunn (1978)
Description: Televised version of Nunn's hugely successful, definitive production of Macbeth at The Other Place [RSC, 1976]. Good, clear story telling by arguably the finest theatre director of our time. Superlative performances from Dench and McKellen in a truly outstanding production. For a more detailed description of this production, go to STAGE HISTORY in ABOUT THE PLAY.

Cast includes Ian McKellen (Macbeth); Judi Dench (Lady Macbeth), John Woodvine, Roger Rees.

For discussion:
1. Macbeth is a Christian play which examines both faith and its absence. How does the director explore questions of faith and the play's Christian themes in this production? You might like to think about props, music, lighting and costume designs.

2. Judi Dench says "Lady Macbeth's ambition is not for herself but for her husband. There is such a tremendous physical passion between them that she feels he only deserves the best. She doesn't, however, bargain for the rift that occurs between her and Macbeth after the murder. She thinks she has attained his goal but once he has tasted blood, he cannot stop. When he asks to be alone she sees a crack for the first time and she was not prepared for isolation." Discuss how Dench and McKellen portray the relationship between Lady Macbeth and her husband both before and after the murder. How does the balance of power fluctuate in their relationship? How does Lady Macbeth put the pressure on her husband in 1.7? What signs are there in 2.2. that Lady Macbeth is troubled?

3. Ian McKellen asks "How, in these days of the naturalism of cinema and television, can audiences be encouraged to hear clearly Shakespeare's words and thereby to reach deep into the play's complexities?" This production was originally staged in an almost bare studio space painted black, with a simple white circled chalked on the floor. Discuss how the director involves the viewer in his film version of the play.

Macbeth directed by Michael Bogdonav (1998)
Produced for Channel 4, Shakespeare's language is preserved while the setting is updated to an abstract, apocalyptic late 20th century
Scotland.

Cast includes Sean Pertwee, Gretta Scacchi, Michael Maloney, Lorcan Cranitch.

For discussion:
How does the director explore and portray the witches' status and powers?

Macbeth on the Estate directed by Penny Woolcock (1997)
This Macbeth, directed by a documentary film maker, was set on a run down Birmingham housing estate. Whilst the language used was Shakespeare's, it told a story, not of Scottish Thanes, but of street gangs, drug dealers and criminals. The weird sisters were played by children. In the Radio Times, Woolcock said "I hate the theatre. Most of it is completely irrelevant. But in "Shakespeare on the Estate" people got very excited, and suddenly you heard his words coming alive. Those speeches are wonderful and they mean something. So it wasn't just the people of Ladywood who became interested in Shakespeare, it was me as well."

Cast includes James Frain, Ray Winstone and over 100 residents from the Ladywood Estate, Birmingham.

Try this:
Watch Act 3 scene 1, the scene in which Macbeth plots Banquo's murder then read Macbeth's soliloquy (3.1.47-71) ""To be thus is nothing; / But to be safely thus!" Paraphrase the soliloquy using modern English or street dialect. Discuss the results.

For discussion:
Directors of Shakespeare need to make his plays accessible for modern audiences. What makes this version appealing to teenages? Do Shakespeare's plays have to be performed in modern dress if younger audiences are to enjoy and understand them? Is the way actors speak Shakespeare's verse important? Do speeches written in heightened language make sense if spoken in conversational style? What makes the text of a Shakespeare play different to the script of a soap opera like Eastenders?

Adaptions of Macbeth on film
Adaptations of Othello on film, include, in chronological order: Joe Macbeth directed by Ken Hughes (1955); Throne of Blood directed by Akira Kurosawa (1957); Men of Respect directed by William Reilly (1991); Macbeth - The Animated Tales directed by Nikolai Serebrinkov (1992).

Shakespeare's plot and protagonists reinvented by Philip Yordan in an entertaining black comic gangster thriller, made in Britain with mostly American actors.

Cast includes Paul Douglas (Joe Macbeth); Ruth Roman (Lily); Sid James (Banky).

Throne of Blood directed by Akira Kurosawa (1957)
Fabulously atmospheric, brilliantly realised and absolutely Shakespearean version of the Scottish play set in 15th century Japan. Kurasawa turns Macbeth into a Samurai warrior called Washizu, (Toshiro Mifune). Tense, dramatic and spellbinding, Throne of Blood has been called the only work "that completely succeeded in transforming a play of Shakespeare's into film" (Sight and Sound magazine, 1965). Daniel Rosenthal, in Shakespeare on Screen writes: "From the simple, silent close-up of an actor's face, to an epic battle sequence, Kurosawa controlled moving images with the grace and power of a great poet�. Throne of Blood demonstrates how Shakespeare crosses all national and cultural boundaries."

Cast includes Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki, Takashi Shimura.

For discussion:
Discuss Kurasawa's portrayal of the witches (here, an ageing, evil spirit in white face paint reminiscent of Noh-Theatre ghost masks) magic and the supernatural in Throne of Blood. You might like to consider ways in which the elements are used to create atmosphere in this film.

Men of Respect directed by William Reilly (1991)
Contemporary Mafiosi version of the play set in New York. Many of the parallels between gang members and thanes, kings and godfathers work well, but it was generally thought that good casting and some fine performances were hampered by a poor script.

Cast includes John Tuturro, Katherine Borowitz, Rod Steiger, Dennis Farina, Stanley Tucci

Try this:
Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to pick a setting in which to base a modern film version of the play and think about possible cast lists/soundtrack ideas. Each group should develop ideas for set, costume and props based on the text and their modern concept. Make certain each group can discuss any essentials of the play that might seem anachronistic (swords, horses, etc.) and can explain how they might update these elements. Next ask the groups to update one scene from Shakespeare's play using modern English.

For discussion:
Discuss the difficulties of updating a play written 400 years ago. How do directors and writers ensure that their concept works? Which elements of the play need explanation when modernised? What issues or ideas require further explanation in a modern film adaptation of an old play?

Macbeth - The Animated Tales directed by Nikolai Serebrinkov (1992)
A 27-minute animated British/Russian co-production with script by Leon Garfield, using a combination of Shakespeare's text and narration. Professor Stanley Wells and Dr Rex Gibson were literary advisors to the project. Voice-overs are provided by a cast of well-known actors, many of whom have worked extensively in classical theatre/at the RSC. However, whilst it is estimated that 90% of the UK's secondary schools now use The Animated Tales as their introduction to the language and plays of Shakespeare for 11-15 year olds, severely cut versions of the tales can prove confusing without prior knowledge of the plot and read like a selection of famous quotations strung together rather than a script which successfully stands alone.

Try this:
Students have produced very successful puppet versions of Macbeth based upon Leon Garfield's version. The Shakespeare Schools' Festival project runs an annual competition in which secondary school pupils perform their own interpretations of Garfield's script, often using physical theatre techniques and strong ensemble work. Ask students to create their own 15-minute version of the play and act it out to the class.


			"From its supernatural opening to its gruesome climax, Macbeth is the Shakespeare play that reads most like a film script." Daniel Rosenthal, Shakespeare on Screen. A low budget production filmed in just over 3 weeks which Welles called "a violently sketched charcoal drawing of a great play." Welles was an actor, director, writer and producer with stage and radio drama experience who loved stories that told of the corruption of powerful men. Passionate that Shakespeare's plays should be enjoyed and acted, not just read, he channelled great energy in a long career into filming Shakespeare's plays. His Macbeth murders Duncan in a trance-like state and thereafter uses alcohol to deaden his senses, sobering up only to face death at the hands of Macduff, leading Daniel Rosenthal to note that "this Macbeth is only half in control of his personality." Cast includes Orson Welles (Macbeth) and Jeanette Nolan (Lady Macbeth). For discussion: Using examples, discuss ways in which Welles combines techniques from theatre, film and radio to tell the story of Macbeth's rise and fall. Roman Polanski made this realistically violent film two years after his heavily pregnant wife (the actress Sharon Tate) was brutally murdered by followers of hippy cult leader Charles Manson. In gruesome detail this film depicts murders which happen off stage in Shakespeare's play. Filmed on location in England and Wales, and at Shepperton Studios, Polanski's version gained notoriety for its naked witches and nude sleepwalking scene. Cast includes Jon Finch (Macbeth); Francesca Annis (Lady Macbeth). For discussion: Polanski cut Shakespeare's text, re-ordered some scenes and invented others. What does this add to or take away from Shakespeare's stage play? Description: Televised version of Nunn's hugely successful, definitive production of Macbeth at The Other Place [RSC, 1976]. Good, clear story telling by arguably the finest theatre director of our time. Superlative performances from Dench and McKellen in a truly outstanding production. For a more detailed description of this production, go to STAGE HISTORY in ABOUT THE PLAY. Cast includes Ian McKellen (Macbeth); Judi Dench (Lady Macbeth), John Woodvine, Roger Rees. For discussion: 1. Macbeth is a Christian play which examines both faith and its absence. How does the director explore questions of faith and the play's Christian themes in this production? You might like to think about props, music, lighting and costume designs. 2. Judi Dench says "Lady Macbeth's ambition is not for herself but for her husband. There is such a tremendous physical passion between them that she feels he only deserves the best. She doesn't, however, bargain for the rift that occurs between her and Macbeth after the murder. She thinks she has attained his goal but once he has tasted blood, he cannot stop. When he asks to be alone she sees a crack for the first time and she was not prepared for isolation." Discuss how Dench and McKellen portray the relationship between Lady Macbeth and her husband both before and after the murder. How does the balance of power fluctuate in their relationship? How does Lady Macbeth put the pressure on her husband in 1.7? What signs are there in 2.2. that Lady Macbeth is troubled? 3. Ian McKellen asks "How, in these days of the naturalism of cinema and television, can audiences be encouraged to hear clearly Shakespeare's words and thereby to reach deep into the play's complexities?" This production was originally staged in an almost bare studio space painted black, with a simple white circled chalked on the floor. Discuss how the director involves the viewer in his film version of the play. Produced for Channel 4, Shakespeare's language is preserved while the setting is updated to an abstract, apocalyptic late 20th century Scotland. Cast includes Sean Pertwee, Gretta Scacchi, Michael Maloney, Lorcan Cranitch. For discussion: How does the director explore and portray the witches' status and powers? This Macbeth, directed by a documentary film maker, was set on a run down Birmingham housing estate. Whilst the language used was Shakespeare's, it told a story, not of Scottish Thanes, but of street gangs, drug dealers and criminals. The weird sisters were played by children. In the Radio Times, Woolcock said "I hate the theatre. Most of it is completely irrelevant. But in "Shakespeare on the Estate" people got very excited, and suddenly you heard his words coming alive. Those speeches are wonderful and they mean something. So it wasn't just the people of Ladywood who became interested in Shakespeare, it was me as well." Cast includes James Frain, Ray Winstone and over 100 residents from the Ladywood Estate, Birmingham. Try this: Watch Act 3 scene 1, the scene in which Macbeth plots Banquo's murder then read Macbeth's soliloquy (3.1.47-71) ""To be thus is nothing; / But to be safely thus!" Paraphrase the soliloquy using modern English or street dialect. Discuss the results. For discussion: Directors of Shakespeare need to make his plays accessible for modern audiences. What makes this version appealing to teenages? Do Shakespeare's plays have to be performed in modern dress if younger audiences are to enjoy and understand them? Is the way actors speak Shakespeare's verse important? Do speeches written in heightened language make sense if spoken in conversational style? What makes the text of a Shakespeare play different to the script of a soap opera like Eastenders? Adaptations of Othello on film, include, in chronological order: Joe Macbeth directed by Ken Hughes (1955); Throne of Blood directed by Akira Kurosawa (1957); Men of Respect directed by William Reilly (1991); Macbeth - The Animated Tales directed by Nikolai Serebrinkov (1992). Shakespeare's plot and protagonists reinvented by Philip Yordan in an entertaining black comic gangster thriller, made in Britain with mostly American actors. Cast includes Paul Douglas (Joe Macbeth); Ruth Roman (Lily); Sid James (Banky). Fabulously atmospheric, brilliantly realised and absolutely Shakespearean version of the Scottish play set in 15th century Japan. Kurasawa turns Macbeth into a Samurai warrior called Washizu, (Toshiro Mifune). Tense, dramatic and spellbinding, Throne of Blood has been called the only work "that completely succeeded in transforming a play of Shakespeare's into film" (Sight and Sound magazine, 1965). Daniel Rosenthal, in Shakespeare on Screen writes: "From the simple, silent close-up of an actor's face, to an epic battle sequence, Kurosawa controlled moving images with the grace and power of a great poet�. Throne of Blood demonstrates how Shakespeare crosses all national and cultural boundaries." Cast includes Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki, Takashi Shimura. For discussion: Discuss Kurasawa's portrayal of the witches (here, an ageing, evil spirit in white face paint reminiscent of Noh-Theatre ghost masks) magic and the supernatural in Throne of Blood. You might like to consider ways in which the elements are used to create atmosphere in this film. Contemporary Mafiosi version of the play set in New York. Many of the parallels between gang members and thanes, kings and godfathers work well, but it was generally thought that good casting and some fine performances were hampered by a poor script. Cast includes John Tuturro, Katherine Borowitz, Rod Steiger, Dennis Farina, Stanley Tucci Try this: Divide the class into small groups. Ask each group to pick a setting in which to base a modern film version of the play and think about possible cast lists/soundtrack ideas. Each group should develop ideas for set, costume and props based on the text and their modern concept. Make certain each group can discuss any essentials of the play that might seem anachronistic (swords, horses, etc.) and can explain how they might update these elements. Next ask the groups to update one scene from Shakespeare's play using modern English. For discussion: Discuss the difficulties of updating a play written 400 years ago. How do directors and writers ensure that their concept works? Which elements of the play need explanation when modernised? What issues or ideas require further explanation in a modern film adaptation of an old play? A 27-minute animated British/Russian co-production with script by Leon Garfield, using a combination of Shakespeare's text and narration. Professor Stanley Wells and Dr Rex Gibson were literary advisors to the project. Voice-overs are provided by a cast of well-known actors, many of whom have worked extensively in classical theatre/at the RSC. However, whilst it is estimated that 90% of the UK's secondary schools now use The Animated Tales as their introduction to the language and plays of Shakespeare for 11-15 year olds, severely cut versions of the tales can prove confusing without prior knowledge of the plot and read like a selection of famous quotations strung together rather than a script which successfully stands alone. Try this: Students have produced very successful puppet versions of Macbeth based upon Leon Garfield's version. The Shakespeare Schools' Festival project runs an annual competition in which secondary school pupils perform their own interpretations of Garfield's script, often using physical theatre techniques and strong ensemble work. Ask students to create their own 15-minute version of the play and act it out to the class.