DVD of the Week: Macbeth
Monday, April 21st by leinana
It’s Shakespeare’s birthday this week, on April 23rd, which also happens to be the date on which he died at the age of 52. So happy birthday to our favorite bard! In addition to still holding the title of greatest writer in the English language, 392 years after his death, his taunts are still some of the funniest around.
I wanted to watch this version of Macbeth because it was directed by Roman Polanski, a master at creating psychological portraits of characters descending into madness (particularly in films like Repulsion or The Tenant). It seemed a natural choice then for him to adapt the story of Macbeth’s lust for power, murderous rampages, and subsequent downward spiral of guilt and paranoia. He hits just the right chord of creepiness when Banquo’s ghost appears at the banquet. The scene is unsettling, and you can feel Macbeth’s world—and sanity—beginning to crumble beneath him.
Many of the play’s soliloquies become internal monologues in the film, which means that there are a lot of long scenes with Macbeth staring off into the distance, squinting, or looking similarly pensive. Polanski also takes liberty with Lady Macbeth’s famous sleepwalking scene, by having it performed in the nude. I find it an effective scene, as she is exposed both literally and figuratively. Her nakedness makes her seem even more frail and vulnerable, overcome and weighed down by the burden of her guilt.
Polanski’s ending is ominous, hinting at an unending cycle of violence and thirst for power. While this may not be one of my favorite Polanski films, it is definitely one of the better (albeit bloodier) versions of this often-adapted play.
Macbeth (1971)
DVD Date of Release: May 2002
Based on Macbeth by William Shakespeare
