Macbeth on Film

With such a famous and respected piece of work like William Shakespeare's Macbeth it must have been quite a daunting process for Roman Polanski to create his own version on film. What made his job harder was that he was trying to create a version much like the stage version but with the added benefits of film. Nonetheless, despite the hurdles of creating a Shakespearean play that is authentic and entertaining on film, Polanski succeeded in created a classic.

The first way this film succeeds in bringing to life Macbeth is in the way that Polanski casts his characters. My favorite is Lady Macbeth, played by Francesca Annis. A young and beautiful actress, Annis does a great job at making Lady Macbeth seem less like the sinister older version of herself in the original Macbeth, but more representative of the ambitious, greedy, misguided, and risk-taking youth that exist especially in today's world. If you really think about it, it makes sense that Lady Macbeth is young, as older people are typically more content with their lifestyle and younger people always seem to be doing whatever it takes to get ahead in life. I also appreciated how Polanski chose Jon Finch as Macbeth. What was stupendous about him was that he was able to transform so well physically from a strong, attractive, warrior to what I saw as an older, cold, dictator-like character. When we reviewed the beginning of the movie I could hardly believe that Macbeth was played by the same actor throughout the entire film.

Polanski's use of symbols and unique shots also help to make his film a great version of the original. My favorite symbolism in the movie revolved around the color red. Such is visible in the scene where the characters realize that Duncan has been murdered in the night. During the town's discovery the beautiful morning red sunlight covers the walls of Macbeth's home, symbolizing the death, destruction, and betrayal that occurred during the the late hours of the night. It is almost like the red sun light was made to be interpreted as a stain of blood on Macbeth's castle in the same way blood is seen throughout the movie as permanent and associated with the guilt surrounding murder.

Another favorite scene of mine was the bear-bating scene because of its vivid symbolism and connectedness to Macbeth's own life. They are connected both in the way that the death of the bear and the death of Macbeth are marked by point of view shots looking out towards a blood thirsty mob and in the way that Macbeth seems to be suffering in both. For in the beat-bating scene we see Macbeth momentarily looking uncomfortable with torture of the bear as he almost seems to sense his own future in the bear's dire situation. This connectedness between Macbeth and the bear is essentially what makes the bear-bating symbolic of Macbeth's own life. Aside from his usurping, it also symbolizes the way Macbeth is fighting against all of those around him (like the bear is) and in the way Macbeth has become trapped by his own ambition (as seen physically with the bear's cage). Essentially, what makes both the bear-bating scene and Macbeth's ending scene most effective are the dramatic point of view shows that put the viewer right in the midst of the drama.

In conclusion, thanks to the fact that Polanski is able to retain the same authentic style Shakespeare had in the creation of Macbeth, this film is a great adaptation. What makes it even better is Polanski's use of symbols, dramatic shots, and a superb cast. With so many great components it is easy to see why this film has received so much critical acclaim and lives today as a classic.