| The works of Shakespeare are as timeless as their | | | | the complete lack there of. Filmed in complete black, |
| own sources. His work reached quickly the upper | | | | with only the actors and a mostly empty stage, |
| echelons of the classics of Homer and Ovid, | | | | some of the greatest stage actors from England this |
| Aeschylus and Euripides. Studied throughout the world | | | | half century populate the presentation, with Ian |
| as the affirmative English language writer, | | | | McKellan and Judi Dench in the starring roles. The |
| Shakespeare is not only respected so greatly, but | | | | acting is thus superb, even if the presentation (and |
| imitated and adapted nearly as often. | | | | it's a full presentation...meaning rather long) is a bit |
| As a writer of plays, his work is naturally crafted for | | | | sparse. |
| the stage, and likewise when the stage fell under the | | | | Macbeth (Zefirelli) - The famed Zefirelli production |
| focus of the first film reel, movies. One of his most | | | | starring none other than Mel Gibson, Glen Close, and |
| beloved and superstitiously guarded works is | | | | Helena Bonham-Carter is the most star-studded |
| Macbeth, the classic tale of bloodletting and madness | | | | presentation, with the largest budget and most |
| in the Scottish Highlands. The tale is one of the | | | | sprawling of intentions. The film takes a fairly |
| shortest, and most produced of Shakespeare's | | | | straightforward, albeit grandiose approach to the play |
| tragedies. I'm not hear to discuss the merits and | | | | that works because of the strength of direction and |
| elements of one of the Bards greatest works. | | | | acting, but fails in some of the Shakespearian |
| You can discuss this in school, on the internet, or | | | | conventions it sidesteps. Considered to be the most |
| while actually reading the play. I only seek to share | | | | cinematic production of Shakespeare, while trying to |
| with you a few of the many film adaptations | | | | appeal to Hollywood ethos of film making. |
| available of this, the vicious dark tale of Macbeth. | | | | Men of Respect - This 1991 film reworks the entire |
| Macbeth (Orson Welles) - The first of the many epic | | | | story in favor of a modern, business setting. It's |
| productions, Orson Welles' version of Macbeth is a | | | | essentially the tale of a mafia battle in modern day |
| dark, brooding version, done on an extremely low | | | | New York, spoken in modern English. However, the |
| budget and with the wonderful overacting of Orson | | | | mafia setting is perfect for the tale of Macbeth and |
| Welles. Over accentuated and nearly expressionistic in | | | | the story remains more or less true to its source. A |
| set design, the story here is told with the thick and | | | | strong adaptation with little actual deviation, even if |
| fake accents of Scotland leading to its critical and | | | | that lack of deviation makes for a rather stiff film. |
| commercial flop. However the story is well told and | | | | Scotland, PA - This indie sundance flick takes place in |
| for those that can understand and follow Welles and | | | | Scotland, Pennsylvania in the 1970s, where a local |
| troupe, the characterization is as strong as any | | | | burger shop owner, MacDuff is murdered and his |
| otheradaptation around. | | | | "empire" taken over and rebuilt by Joe Macbeth and |
| Joe Macbeth - This version resets the action in | | | | his wife. In this version, the role of the wife is |
| Chicago in the film noir setting of a gang war. The | | | | enhanced to the point of almost alleviating Joe his |
| interpretation is liberal, and the work vague at best in | | | | responsibility. The film itself is a black comedy, as |
| its mirroring of the bards themes, but it's one of the | | | | Banqo is a bumbling fool and the inspector, played by |
| more interesting and compelling adaptations, and it | | | | Christopher Walken is a gem. The witches are two |
| utilizes best the built aspects of the noir genre to tell | | | | men and a women, and hippies...and likely high, but |
| one of Shakespeare's darker, more ironic tragedies. | | | | their prophecies are sound. It's a great movie for |
| Throne of Blood - Akira Kurosawa, never a stranger | | | | anyone who's worked in fast food before as well. |
| to massive productions and interpretations of | | | | Maqbool - This Hindi production takes place in the |
| western works into Eastern forms loved | | | | Mumbai underworld, the underworld a perfect setting |
| Shakespeare as could be seen in his reproduction of | | | | for the battle of powers and murder of compatriots. |
| more than one of the bards great tragedies. Macbeth | | | | The film wasn't commercially successful, but did go |
| he took on in Throne of Blood, the entirety of | | | | on to win various awards and presents one of the |
| Shakespeare's play told through the screen of 16th | | | | only other non English interpretations of the play, and |
| Century Shogunate Japan, and the story of Washizu | | | | a beautiful one at that. |
| Taketori, played by the world famous Toshiro Mifune. | | | | Rave Macbeth - A German production, Rave Macbeth |
| Macbeth (Polanski) - Easily the most violent and | | | | is still filmed in English and was never released in |
| bloody of all the adaptations, Polanski was in the | | | | America. The film takes place in a rave, with the |
| darkest phase of his career, this film directly following | | | | familiar taking place between club owners and |
| that of Rosemary's Baby and the violent murder of | | | | employees this run around. However, the introduction |
| Sharon Tate and his unborn child at the hands of the | | | | of familiar elements like the witches and the bloody |
| Manson family. The results in his films is disturbing and | | | | hands is handled with a modern appeal to the drug |
| vicious and of all the works of Shakespeare, Macbeth | | | | culture that the film takes place in. The film is just |
| is the most ripe for gory violence. The film itself is | | | | that then, a drug trip of sorts. |
| par, with an acceptable presentation. Not the | | | | Every one of Shakespeare's greatest works, |
| greatest, but surely the most intriguing in the visual | | | | Macbeth has found a long and productive life in |
| format. | | | | celluloid. The themes of the bards plays work in |
| Macbeth (with Ian McKellan) - Directed by Cason for | | | | almost any genre, in any decade of any generation, |
| the small screen, this version of Macbeth is intriguing | | | | and will continue to find their home on stage, in film, |
| not because of set design, or production value, but | | | | literature, and beyond. |
