walter m
Macbeth(Ian McKellen) and Banquo(John Woodvine) are on their way back from a victory when they encounter three odd women(Marie Kean, Judith Harte & Susan Dury) in the forest who inform them that even bigger things are in store for them and their offspring, like Macbeth becoming king and the same for Banquo's lineage. They laugh this off until they find out that one of the predictions has come true in their absence. When Macbeth tells his wife(Judi Dench) about this, she responds that there is no time like the present, what with good King Duncan(Griffith Jones) coming to visit.
Yes, this is little more than a filmed performance of the Scottish Play, handicapped by the primitive effects of the time. But even then, this staging makes very good work out of its minimalism to give an eerie and expressionistic look to the proceedings that with one exception are decidedly monochromatic. With close-ups endemic to television, this forces the viewer in a position not to be spared from the carnage. And embodying that madness are the great Ian McKellen and Judi Dench at the top of their game.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
McKellen and Dench are a great pairing as Macbeth and Lady. It is also fun to see the pre-Star Wars Ian McDiarmid, as well as a very young Roger Rees. A little long, but that's OK as it is a stage version just filmed.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/08/23
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Audience Member
Last semester, I had an assignment to watch this production of Macbeth directed by Trevor Nunn and review it. That review has since been lost due to a lost thumb drive, but I have never forgotten what I called Dame Judy Dench's Lady Macbeth: The Puligny-Montrachet of Lady Macbeths, referring to the Chardonnay that every other Chardonnay in the world is trying to (and should) be. Her Lady Macbeth captures the guilt, restlessness, chaos and the aftermath of Duncan's murder, and immortalizes them in the look on Lady Macbeth's face and the inhuman moan of agony she exhales during her hand-washing scene. It is a sound that dishonors our ears and never seems to end.
This Macbeth, while stylized and can be seen as dated to many, honors William Shakespeare and his Scottish play, which has been accused of being cursed for so many decades. Though it does drag a little, you're watching masters at their best performing the work of a master at his best. Macbeth is about ambition, guilt, and fate, and it's about a good man who corrupts himself.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
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Audience Member
Incredible production of Macbeth. Talking heads. No scenery. Really gripping as a result.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/11/23
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Audience Member
It's performances like these that make you want to become an actor.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
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Audience Member
This is basically a taping of a very stripped down RSC production of Macbeth. No sets, just black darkness and actors. I liked most of the performances, but I just can't deal with the actors addressing the camera. Maybe it works in person with the audience, but speaking right into the lens just looks corny to me.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/20/23
Full Review
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