Macbeth

Greta Scacchi is a great favorite of mine. So is Shakespeare. So when I discovered that she had done a Macbeth, I immediately ordered the DVD (which was a double feature, also containing a thoroughly marvelous 2003 version of Twelfth Night, which made it plentily worth the price of admission). Unfortunately, this Macbeth was a disappointment. Greta Scacchi herself was good; absolutely the best thing about it. She spoke the words with more confidence and ease than the other cast members, and you have to bow down in awe and reverence to an actress who can deliver "He that's coming must be provided for: and you shall put this night's great business into my dispatch; which shall to all our nights and days to come give solely sovereign sway and masterdom" with complete naturality and without pausing to breathe! Whoa!

However, the remaining cast, and the no-budget modern setting, clearly derivative of Loncraine's Richard III (and perhaps a bit of Luhrmann's R+J), were utterly colorless and unconvincing. Now, I have always liked Sean Pertwee. I consider him a serious and intense actor whose screen presence I am frequently very comfortable with. But not here. He wasn't terrible, but he certainly wasn't anything to write home about, either. Maybe it was the silly goggles.

Of the rest of the cast, none distinguished themselves except for Lady Macduff, played by Ruth Gemmel. Her attractiveness is probably part of the reason I responded especially to her, but her delivery was also good.

All right, I understand this production was made for school purposes. I don't think that excuses its dullness. If some people enjoy it, and can get into Shakespeare because of it, that's great. I don't think it would have worked on me when I was in school, though, and if I were a teacher I would think twice about using this. The production is charismaless, and there isn't much acting going on. To engage students, I'd pick Shakespeare movies like Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo+Juliet or, if it has to be Macbeth, the Ian McKellen/Judi Dench version. Or, frankly, any other version besides this one.

This Macbeth reminds me enormously of the 1992 version of As You Like It, which is equally modern, bleak and, as I see it, uninspired (I rated it a 4 out of 10). You'd almost think they were made by the same person. But in Macbeth, we at least have the gorgeous, capable Greta to shine in the surrounding darkness.

Judged by the standard of Shakespeare movies in general, this movie is hard put to even approach mediocrity. But, because of Greta's performance, I will be kind and call it average.

My rating of this rather paltry Macbeth, thusly, is a just 5 out of 10.

This is a trimmed-down version of Macbeth (running at less than 1.5 hours) presented by a group of lesser-known but extremely competent actors. The cuts mean that the action is fast-paced with little chance to breathe.

The setting is modern-ish and slightly surreal and surprisingly sunny and bright for this usually dark and murky play. Even the garbage dump which represents the "heath" where the witches hang out is set amid green fields and a placid lake.

On the upside is the performance of Greta Scacchi who is a frighteningly intent and edgy Lady M. The scenes between the Macbeths are breathtaking: her energy seems to infuse Pertwee who is subdued without her.

On the downside, Pertwee cannot get past a kind of manic anger in the final scenes. There is no sense that Macbeth realizes the depth to which he has sunk, that his soul is irredeemably compromised. In the end he should be like the figures in Michaelangelo's Last Judgement, being dragged to Hell while realizing what they have lost and cannot now get back. Pertwee's Macbeth keeps on heading straight for Hell as fast as he can get there. In the end we experience no regret or sense of tragedy in his demise.

Notwithstanding this flaw, this is a gripping and watchable film which is well worth the effort.

I saw this version of Macbeth in an interesting format. Someone took this movie and broke it up into chunks of about 15 or 20 minutes for use in the classroom. And I couldn't think of a better version for that purpose.

Though clearly of modest budget, it is not cheap. Rather it skillfully uses available resources to create a stark, clear (and trimmed down) production. It does this by being strangely, yet coherently, anachronistic. The nature of the characters and the scenes determine the prevailing time period of the props, costumes and setting; so they are more than mere set dressing and non-verbally communicate information about who the characters are. Usurper Macbeth never rises above his castle in an abandoned factory, which contrasts with the elegance of the rightful heir Malcolm's pristine English manor.

The delineations aren't strict... the witches' Mad Max post-apocalyptic world sits in the midst of contemporary warfare. The banquet shows Macbeth's futile attempt at legitimacy in a clash of period and style. But rather than creating chaos, this mixing keeps the characters visually consistent throughout the production.

The performances are excellent, but not outstanding, and fall into the standard British Shakespearean rhythms which can take some acclimatization for people not accustomed to it. But the acting fits the context of the setting while staying true to Shakespeare. Though not a definitive Macbeth, it is one I can watch with pleasure whenever the local public broadcasting channel broadcasts it as a teacher's resource. And I wouldn't mind having the complete version without the breaks.

A truly unique version of Macbeth, with fantastic performances from Sean Pertwee, Greta Scachi, Michael Maloney and Jack Davenport. This movie succeeds where other recent Shakespearean movies fail. This movie has great casting, very intresting settings......very well updated. Definatly ranks up there with even Trevor Nunn's Macbeth. Go out and rent it today!

This bare-bones and inspired version of 'Macbeth' appeared on Channel 4 Schools programming in instalments before being shown in its entirety for a wider audience. Michael Bogdanov's film puts the action strictly in the here and now, in the rough and violent world of an apocalyptic estate, with Macbeth himself as an unrepentant maniac heading straight for hell.

Macbeth is perhaps the best Shakespeare play to give a shot in the arm - its the shortest and perhaps the easiest of the tragedies to manipulate any which way you choose. So this version works completely in what it intends to do, i.e. speak to a younger audience and flip this play on its head.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are admirably played by Sean Pertwee and Greta Scacchi, while others making a strong impression in the cast include Philip Madoc as Duncan, Michael Maloney as Banquo, and Lorcan Cranitch. Fans of the UK series 'Coupling' can see Jack Davenport and Richard Coyle in there too, alongside 'Birds of a Feather' star Lesley Joseph as one of the witches.