Macbeth

[kasie]

I'm not sure where to put this so I'll try General Lit.

For Forum members in UK - or those who can receive UK tv - on Sunday 12 December 2010 at 7.30pm on BBC4 a film of Macbeth will be shown with Patrick Stewart in the title role.

I think this is a film version of the stage production I saw at the Chichester Festival Theatre a couple of years ago - if so, I thoroughly recommend it and urge you to watch and/or record it. Even if you don't like 'modern dress' Shakespeare, stay with it - it's one of the most dramatic and moving versions I've ever seen. The scene with Banquo's ghost is truly chilling.

[wessexgirl]

Thanks Kasie, I'll look forward to that. Macbeth is one of my favourites, and Patrick Stewart is usually very good, although I don't generally like modern dress versions. I saw this being reviewed a few weeks ago on the Review Show, and I think the verdict was pretty split between lovers and dsilikers. Anyway, I will definitely give it a go.

[Lokasenna]

I'm looking forward to it - thanks for the heads up!

[kelby_lake]

I'm not sure where to put this so I'll try General Lit.

For Forum members in UK - or those who can receive UK tv - on Sunday 12 December 2010 at 7.30pm on BBC4 a film of Macbeth will be shown with Patrick Stewart in the title role.

I think this is a film version of the stage production I saw at the Chichester Festival Theatre a couple of years ago - if so, I thoroughly recommend it and urge you to watch and/or record it. Even if you don't like 'modern dress' Shakespeare, stay with it - it's one of the most dramatic and moving versions I've ever seen. The scene with Banquo's ghost is truly chilling.

Cool :) I'll have to iPlayer it.

[Patrick_Bateman]

English lecturer was quoting MacBeth all day and apprised us of this. She too witnessed the live stage performance and thought Pat was mesmerizing and gave a thrilling performance.

[Lokasenna]

Hmm, I wonder how it'll compare to the RSC's Macbeth with Ian McKellan and Judi Dench - that was one hell of a performance.

Still, I've seen Stewart perform twice now, and he has never dissappointed!

[hellsapoppin]

Fly false Thanes and mingle with the English epicures!

My favorite line in the play.

[dfloyd]

as if the dress would make the plays more platable to modern audiences. I think Richard Burton once played Hamlet in evening dress. The weirdest portrayal I have seen was Titus Andronicus (movie), with Anthony Hopkins, where the actors were members of rival motorcycle gangs tooling around the Colloseum on bikes. Where were you Marlon Brando?

[Tallon]

Thanks for the heads up, i loved reading Macbeth when i was at school (i was the only one...). I remember they showed us a version on video then with Macbeth riding around in armored vehicles and such, so at least one modern version already exists.

[Lokasenna]

So, what did people think? I was very impressed, though I felt it did fall just short of the phenomenal McKellan/Dench performance. It was a tremendously atmospheric and claustrophobic production.

It seems almost wrong to pick out certain actors from such an accomplished cast, but here are my favourites. The main duo both gave utterly brilliant performances - they had a wonderful chemistry together. Stewart really brought across the more girzzled, older aspect of Macbeth, and kept allowing us these wonderful insights into the vicious barbarian that lurks beneath, something McKellan didn't figure into his performance. Lady M brought a pleasingly large degree of demonic-eroticism to her portrayal, an aspect which is certainly there in the text, but often underplayed by directors who want her to be a bit of a battle-axe; her sleepwalking scene borrows heavily from Dench's rendition, but measures up well against it, and was certainly one of the most powerful scenese in this production. Another outstanding performances was Ross, so often a throwaway character, but here used to tremendous effect. Banquo gave what I thought was a very subtle, but effective performance - saying far more with small looks and movements than words.

And then there's the witches. Oh god, the witches. This was by far and away the most disturbing, terrifying and above all wyrd rendtion of the witches I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Every moment they are on screen, they transform the already claustrophobic surrondings into a surreal nightmare of eerie lights, flashing angles and eldritch voices - I've no idea how they would have managed that on stage, but by heaven it works well on film. The three witches collectively win my 'best performance' award.

I can't leave it at that, I'm afraid - I have to find something negative for any review I do. Firstly, the Porter: initially an interesting performance, if rather too over-the-top, but they gave him far too much screentime, and by the end of the production he seemed to be hitting all the wrong chords at the wrong time. Secondly: the bizarre scene where Macbeth makes sandwiches for the murderers - I can sort of see what the director was trying to do, but I don't think it quite works, and comes across as just a little bit too contrived.

These are minor niggles - on the whole, it is an excellent production, and well worth watching. For those in the UK, it should be on the iPlayer for a while yet, and as for our foreign cousins, I daresay it'll come around eventually.

[prendrelemick]

Thank heavens for iplayer. I'll download it tonight.

[Patrick_Bateman]

So, what did people think? I was very impressed, though I felt it did fall just short of the phenomenal McKellan/Dench performance. It was a tremendously atmospheric and claustrophobic production.

It seems almost wrong to pick out certain actors from such an accomplished cast, but here are my favourites. The main duo both gave utterly brilliant performances - they had a wonderful chemistry together. Stewart really brought across the more girzzled, older aspect of Macbeth, and kept allowing us these wonderful insights into the vicious barbarian that lurks beneath, something McKellan didn't figure into his performance. Lady M brought a pleasingly large degree of demonic-eroticism to her portrayal, an aspect which is certainly there in the text, but often underplayed by directors who want her to be a bit of a battle-axe; her sleepwalking scene borrows heavily from Dench's rendition, but measures up well against it, and was certainly one of the most powerful scenese in this production. Another outstanding performances was Ross, so often a throwaway character, but here used to tremendous effect. Banquo gave what I thought was a very subtle, but effective performance - saying far more with small looks and movements than words.

And then there's the witches. Oh god, the witches. This was by far and away the most disturbing, terrifying and above all wyrd rendtion of the witches I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Every moment they are on screen, they transform the already claustrophobic surrondings into a surreal nightmare of eerie lights, flashing angles and eldritch voices - I've no idea how they would have managed that on stage, but by heaven it works well on film. The three witches collectively win my 'best performance' award.

I can't leave it at that, I'm afraid - I have to find something negative for any review I do. Firstly, the Porter: initially an interesting performance, if rather too over-the-top, but they gave him far too much screentime, and by the end of the production he seemed to be hitting all the wrong chords at the wrong time. Secondly: the bizarre scene where Macbeth makes sandwiches for the murderers - I can sort of see what the director was trying to do, but I don't think it quite works, and comes across as just a little bit too contrived.

These are minor niggles - on the whole, it is an excellent production, and well worth watching. For those in the UK, it should be on the iPlayer for a while yet, and as for our foreign cousins, I daresay it'll come around eventually.


I have trouble believing you're real :)

I mean that affectionately

[Lokasenna]

I have trouble believing you're real :)

I mean that affectionately

I'll take that as a compliment... I think?:D

[kasie]

I'm sure you are real, Loka...

Having recommended it to everyone so highly, I have to admit to being just the smallest bit disappointed but that's probably because I had such high expectations. I saw it at Chichester in the Miranda Theatre which is a small and therefore intimate in-the-round theatre, no stage, seats straight onto the performance area. That gave the feeling, in this production, of being down in that dingy, forgotten cellar/dungeon with the protagonists, part of the action. To add to this impression, I had a seat in the very front row and had to keep my feet well tucked in in case I tripped up an actor sweeping by.

The 'Double, double, toil and trouble' scene was, to me, quite horrific - the witches/nurses wheeled in three trollies with bodybags on them: being so close, I could see the 'bodies' inside breathing and that built up the tension to an almost unbearable pitch. By the time the First Witch unzipped the bag and the 'body' sat up and started to prophesy, my friend and I were all but clutching each other and screaming! With the flashing lights and the voice distortion, it outdid any Hammer Horror for impact.

The scene with Banquo's ghost was also given a unique twist - the table was brought on ceremoniously and laid carefully, Macbeth and Lady M welcomed the guests, the meal began, Macbeth prowled edgily round the table and just as he sat down, in strode 'Banquo': without breaking stride he leapt up onto the table, marched down it and stood before Macbeth who broke out in the horrors while the rest of the guests carried on unconcernedly with the meal, only gradually becoming uneasy as Macbeth disintegrated before their eyes - Patrick Stewart's performance was nicely judged, stopping just this side of ham. As Lady M hustled him out, the lights went out - and it was the Interval. At least one audience member was gripping the arms of her seat! The table was left on the stage and re-set during the interval and Part Two began back at the beginning of the banquet scene. 'Oh, no,' I thought, 'that bit of Theatre won't work twice' and of course it would not have done - the scene was played through without the reappearance of the Ghost. The first time, you saw it through Macbeth's eyes, the second time through the eyes of the rest of the diners with Macbeth gibbering at empty air, all the more horrific as there appeared to be no reason for his behaviour. Perhaps it could be said this was underlining the obvious but in performance, it worked well and screwed up the tension to an almost unbearable degree - it may have been the absence of the this live tension that made the film a little unsatisfactory to me.

[Lokasenna]

After seeing a performance live, it's often harder to access the filmed version - I understand where you are coming from!

[prendrelemick]

I agree with just about everything lokasenna said. Those witches were fantastic, Ross was very good and the whole cast outstanding. As for the porter scene, I really missed the comic relief moment we usually get at that point - a chance to draw breath as it were. This version was unremitting horror upon horror with no respite.
Lady Macbeth was a truly scary woman, her internal uglyness barely covered, and Stewart's last scene was absolutely mesmerising I dont think I shall ever see better. Excellent.

The live version sounded truely amazing Kasie, thanks for telling us aout it.

On a lighter note. Patrick Stewart is a great actor but having him as Macbeth highlighted the problem of holding a severed head without any hair, Malcom looked as if he was going to punt it down the corridor.

[Lokasenna]

I dont think I shall ever see better. Excellent.


Just out of interest, have you seen the '77 McKellen/Dench RSC performance? I'm still inclined to rate that higher, if only marginally.

[Varenne Rodin]

Sometimes I think I should go to the UK. TV seems like it's probably more interesting.

[prendrelemick]

Just out of interest, have you seen the '77 McKellen/Dench RSC performance? I'm still inclined to rate that higher, if only marginally.

I meant only that particular scene - his last. I have seen the Mckellen/Dench version along with so many others. It is difficult to compare, but Mckellen's Macbeth never seems to be floundering out of his depth, he is a sneering interllectual, displaying irony to the end. This is an entirely legitimate interpretation, and meant that Macbeth's words (and indeed all the character's words in true RSC tradition) were delivered with great clarity, their meaning laid bare. But I think Macbeth's weakness was not evident enough.

Judy Dench's Lady Macbeth's downfall was an inner softness -she crumbles I felt, whereas this one was so hard and brittle she cracked . Both versions were good, but I think this is the one that will remain in my memory the strongest.

Have you seen the Jane Lapotaire effort, Inspite of low production values she could be the one to beat.


Sometimes I think I should go to the UK. TV seems like it's probably more interesting.

It can be , but we have plenty of dross too.