Rent Macbeth (1971)

Shakespeare reanimated. - Macbeth review by Steve

Maybe purists will be dismayed by Roman Polanski's adaptation of the mythic tragedy of Macbeth, but it shows another way of presenting the plays of William Shakespeare on the big screen. While the text is changed, the celebrated monologues are left intact. New lines are inserted to explain the narrative, so no-one should get lost.

And there is an extraordinary amount of exciting, bloody, brutal action. Medieval Scotland is presented plausibly and in rich detail. And the gloomy atmosphere of the grey skies, the soaking hillside in the constant rain makes the mood dark and oppressive. Weather on screen is rarely compelling as this... Which complements the pessimism of the bard's cycle of ambition and guilt.

The film benefits from casting younger actors in the lead roles. Jon Finch is a charismatic, brooding Macbeth. He actually has a greater rapport with Martin Shaw as Banquo than Francesca Annis playing Lady Macbeth. She is insubstantial, though beautiful. But they are at an age when they might be recklessly driven. And it makes their ruin even more powerful.

The soliloquies are presented as voice-overs, which Finch delivers movingly. It made a huge loss. But for my money, it's the best screen version. While the famous lines are deeply poetic, the film feels persuasively realistic. Every single scene is presented with invigorating imagination. It remains intensely fatalistic, but also rousing, and spectacular.