The Tragedy of Macbeth (Macbeth) (1971)

84% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(8,326 ratings)

"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" - but the bodies keep piling up today, from the opening battle, to the beheading of the traitor Cawdor, to the - onscreen - murder of Duncan, to the electrifying final duel to the death (at each clash of metal on metal, and flesh on stone wall, Polanski cut a… More "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" - but the bodies keep piling up today, from the opening battle, to the beheading of the traitor Cawdor, to the - onscreen - murder of Duncan, to the electrifying final duel to the death (at each clash of metal on metal, and flesh on stone wall, Polanski cut a single frame of film, making the impact almost palpable). His first work after the Manson massacre of his wife and friends, Polanski's graphic adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy of ambition, as Jon Finch's Scottish laird decides to take those witches' advice and go for the crown, was almost inevitably overshadowed at the time by the horrific parallels, but can now be seen as a striking new interpretation and one of the great film adaptations of the Bard. Produced by Hugh Hefner's Playboy Productions, with screenplay by Polanski and legendary critic/Oh Calcutta! author Kenneth Tynan, its nudity and violence earned it an X rating. With Francesca Annis, later the mother in Dune, as Lady Macbeth.

Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Roman Polanski
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Oct 13, 1971 Wide
On DVD: May 7, 2002
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Does Polanski's Macbeth work? Not especially, but it was an admirable try.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
The wide-screen visuals swamp the dialogue, and the thematics have been turned inside out -- but that's what movie adaptations ought to do.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This is an original film by an original film artist, and not an 'interpretation.'
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
The film's bear-baiting, barnyard pageantry is less convincing than its clammy locations.
Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine
If you're a fan of Shakespeare or Polanski, you won't want to miss this.
Jay Antani, Cinema Writer
a bloody, rip-roaring good time
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Polanski's worldview of brutish power-plays couldn't be more at home in Shakespeare's medieval times
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Polanski elicited naturalistic understated performances from his actors which bolstered the play's realism while bringing the poetry down to earth. Some would argue he brought it too far down.
, Film4
Polanski has increased the film's barbaric realism and fills the screen with blood, mud and brooding atmosphere.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Polanski's evident desire to elicit understated, naturalistic performances from his cast also underplays the poetry of the play...
Leo Goldsmith, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
Released just two years after Polanski's then pregnant wife was brutally murdered by members of the Manson family, and morbidly preoccupied with violence and cruelty
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Something of a disappointment.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Polanski's movie is the quintessential film version of the Scottish play.
Dan Lybarger, Nitrate Online
An over-the-top bu highly effective adaption of the Shakespeare classic with Polanski's disctinctive touches.
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
With its apparent fixation on murder and cruelty, it is difficult to overlook a number of the unsettling autobiographical details in the film.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Wildaly M

Bloody yet brilliant adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. One of the few film adaptations of Shakespeare that I've thoroughly enjoyed watching. Jon Finch was absolutely incredible as Macbeth. I also loved the actress who played Lady Macbeth. Highly recommended.
AJ V

In case you ever wondered what would happen if Polanski did a Shakespeare production, check out this movie, it's actually very cool. I loved it.
Dean M

The violent refelling of this classic story was commissioned and underwritten by publisher Hugh Hefner. I watched this William Shakespeare's tragedy tale when I was 17 with my old deaf class-mates for our English studies. Director Roman Polanski's 1971 film is grim yet… More
The violent refelling of this classic story was commissioned and underwritten by publisher Hugh Hefner. I watched this William Shakespeare's tragedy tale when I was 17 with my old deaf class-mates for our English studies. Director Roman Polanski's 1971 film is grim yet compelling, this version of one of our great plays is not for everyone and contains scenes that make it objectionable for children (or squeamish adults).
Pierluigi P

The very real murder of Polanski's wife was the genesis of this ultra violent take on Shakespeare's finest play. A riveting spiral of hate, ambition and betrayal. great performance by Jon Finch.
Lafe F

Rich and thick as stew. A graphic introduction to Shakespeare in shocking display.
Jeremy S

Macbeth is creepy for all the wrong reasons. Roman Polanski real shows his genius turning into insanity with this appalling Shakespeare adaptation.
Cameron J

Hauntingly demented, Polanski's "Macbeth" is a very slow and underdeveloped film that still refuses to keep itself from being extremely and often times distractingly gratuitous in it's twistedly realistic violence and unnecessary nudity. However, Polanski does… More
Hauntingly demented, Polanski's "Macbeth" is a very slow and underdeveloped film that still refuses to keep itself from being extremely and often times distractingly gratuitous in it's twistedly realistic violence and unnecessary nudity. However, Polanski does direct the film masterfully and his acting team puts on an excellent performance to add to this disturbing, yet compelling story. Ultimately, the film will most definately leave you shocked, yet perhaps just as fascinated.
Mike T

A blood-spattered, bold and utterly compelling adaptation. The performances are great, the atmosphere is undeniably strong and the direction is solid. This grim, violent masterpiece captures the tone of the play in a strikingly unique way.
Ivan D

Shakespeare's dialogues may not be that accessible in these days, but Roman Polanski's rendition of his play about ambition wrapped within madness and paranoia is quite simply a great piece of cinema to behold. It's great to hear the deep, flowery Shakesperean words,… More
Shakespeare's dialogues may not be that accessible in these days, but Roman Polanski's rendition of his play about ambition wrapped within madness and paranoia is quite simply a great piece of cinema to behold. It's great to hear the deep, flowery Shakesperean words, but what makes this film much more than a screen adaptation of one of his works is how Polanski has made it: Full of imagery bordering insanity and nightmare, performances teetering between stagy rhetorics and tragedy personified, the pure green fields of Wales as the stage for the depressing sight of the lonesome Cawdor castle, and the painful, furious emotions seemingly incorporated by Polanski himself(wife Sharon Tate being murdered just years prior to the filming of this picture). Now, back to being "accessible", if I'm going to recommend a Shakespeare adaptation that can tell the story easily without the laborious chore of comprehending the playwright's complex language, then I'm going to say "Throne of Blood" by Akira Kurosawa, albeit it being set in feudal Japan. But if one wants to see the pure power of the play, heightened by a master filmmaker's great vision of Macbeth's slide into ruthless lunacy, then "thou shalt not look further". I do not know whether that came out sounding like one of the ten commandments, but there you go.

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

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