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From Amazon.co.uk
Roman Polanski's adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth remains one of the most infamous for a number of reasons: the copious amounts of bloody gore, its expert use of location settings (filmed in North Wales) and Lady Macbeth's nude sleepwalking scene. Despite its notoriety, though, this does remain one of the more compelling film adaptations of the Scottish tragedy, if one of the more pessimistic takes on the story of Macbeth and his overreaching ambition. If you think the play is normally a bit of a downer, you haven't seen Polanski's bleak version of it, made in reaction to the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, by the Manson "family". Jon Finch (Hitchcock's Frenzy) is a forceful Macbeth, bringing out the Scot's warrior instincts, and Francesca Annis is a memorable Lady Macbeth but the main thrust of the film belongs to Polanski's and noted British playwright and critic Kenneth Tynan's take on the play: extremely violent, nihilistic and visceral; this is down-in-the-dirt, no-holds-barred Shakespeare, not fussy costume drama. Pay close attention to the end, a silent coda that puts a chilling twist on all the action that has come beforehand and foreshadows more tragedy to come. --Mark Englehart
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Roman Polanski's adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy remains one of the most infamous for a number of reasons: the copious amounts of bloody gore, its expert use of location settings (filmed in North Wales), and Lady Macbeth's nude sleepwalking scene. Despite its notoriety, though, this does remain one of the more compelling film adaptations of the Scottish tragedy, if one of the more pessimistic takes on the story of Macbeth and his overreaching ambition. If you think the play is normally a bit of a downer, you haven't seen Polanski's bleak version of it, made in reaction to the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, by the Manson "family." Jon Finch (Hitchcock's Frenzy) is an forceful Macbeth, bringing out the Scot's warrior instincts, and Francesca Annis is a memorable Lady Macbeth, but the main thrust of the film belongs to Polanski's and noted British playwright and critic Kenneth Tynan's take on the play: extremely violent, nihilistic, and visceral; this is down-in-the-dirt, no-holds-barred Shakespeare, not fussy costume drama. Pay close attention to the end, a silent coda that puts a chilling twist on all the action that has come beforehand and foreshadows more tragedy to come. --Mark Englehart
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile but Dated!,
By
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This review is from: Macbeth (DVD)
It must certainly be a daunting task to adapt a Shakespearean play. In this 1971 production, Roman Polanski chooses to show very explicitly many events that occur off-stage in the theatre, for instance Macbeth's stabbing of the king and in the end his own beheading.Was the intention simply to be more cinematographic or, given the movie was produced by Playboy, to shock the audience and stir up publicity? In any case, 40 years later, these elements fall a bit flat as viewers are now regularly exposed to much more violence and nudity. Compared to say `Titus', a more recent adaptation of a work by Shakespeare, this `Macbeth' appears almost mild.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Macbeth as it is,
By
This review is from: Macbeth (DVD)
I'm not sure I agree with the statements that this is Polanski's personal adaptation of Macbeth. While the incidents in his life at that time undoubtedly had an affect on his rendering of Macbeth, I contend that Macbeth was always a gloomy story, and perhaps it was the that element of the story that drew Polanski rather than Polanski creating a gloomy story out of Macbeth.That having been said, this is a fantastic film. It is extremely dark, at times shockingly brutal, but true to the play. The costumes are great, and the dirty, dusty castle setting is accurate for the era. There are very few lines that have been disregarded, and the dialogue does not embellish or add to Shakespeare's classic. Nobody has, before or since, had the gonads to really emphasize the darker elements of Shakespeare while staying true to the play. "Titus" tried, but inserted too much modern-day silliness to be considered a serious endeavour. This is as true to the play as it can get, and doesn't apologize for it. If you can get past the violence and the sometimes cheesy 70s background music, you will love it. In addition, its gloomy atmosphere and violence might actually have the added benefit nowadays of interesting kids in The Bard.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant adaptation of a Brilliant play!,
By Kimo Trent (Edmonton, Albeta, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Macbeth (VHS Tape)
Wow! The liberties Polanski has taken with the Bard's classic have really floored me. This is truly a revelation. Our English teacher showed us this after we had completed our studies on the play, and I wasn't expecting a film half as good as this one. The movie has made waves for it's gore, violence, bleakness ( hey, it's a tragedy!), and Lady Macbeth's nude sleepwalking scene, but it's all done by a man who is totally in tune with what Shakespeare was trying to get accross. Although some scenes/lines have been dropped from this adaptation (such as Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth she would bash her baby's brains out if she had given her word to do so, or the rather humorous relay between Macduff and Malcom), and some things have been slightly altered (such as when Macbeth laments that his wife should bring forth men-children only, is now an Aside), but it all fits together so well that it is barely noticable (although I did slightly miss them). Every scene from the play has been brought to beautiful life. Moments like the exchange between Banquo and Macbeth, while Lady Macbeth is drugging Duncan's gaurds, are highly inventive and imaginative. As well, I have never been so entertained by the porter in any adaptation of Macbeth before! I could go on and on, yet I am limited to only 1000 words in this review, which is not enough by any stretch of the imagination to review this fine film. Do yourself a favour and see this movie, those of you who know Macbeth will fall in love with this vivid re-telling of Shakespeares tragedy, and make new fans out of the un-initiated. Oh, I almost forgot, the last scene is one of the most unexpected and suprizing endings I have ever seen, and further solidifies Polanski's brilliance here. Truly one for the ages. A classic.
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