Macbeth
Roman Polanski presents his nightmarish vision of Shakespeare's classic tragedy about the lust for power – and it's bloody consequences.Jon Finch (Kingdom of Heaven) is Macbeth, the Scottish war hero whose insane ambition unleashes a cycle of violence.
Prompted by the supernatural prophecy of three witches Macbeth is goaded by his Lady (Francesca Annis, King of Thieves) into slaying King Duncan (Nicolas Selby, The Madness of King George) and assuming the throne. Macbeth plunges further into murder and moral decay to keep the unsteady crown on his head. While his wife crumbles in guilt and madness, the haunted Macbeth fights to prevent another dark forecast which may doom him.
Critic Reviews:
- " A masterful adaptation of a master by a master. " – Ben Nicholson
- " It's a model of how to stay true to Shakespeare and film without sacrificing one for the other, and if that wasn't evident in 1971, it ought to be obvious now. " – Keith Phipps
- " Not only represents an apex of Polanski's darkest sensibilities, but it is one of the most fascinating of Shakespearean adaptations " – James Kendrick