Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3952 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-05-24
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 145 minutes

Synopsis
Trevor Nunn's film of William Shakespeare's tragedy of ambition and witchcraft attempts to recreate his acclaimed 1976 staging of the play. Ian McKellen and Judi Dench play the ambitious pair who murder their way to the Scottish throne. Nunn's film retains the spare, simple look of his stage production, using contemporary costumes and a bare, circular stage to focus attention on the intense imagery of the play's language. The result is an unusual and spellbinding retelling of a classic tale.

Customer Reviews

Flawless
I have never seen a "Macbeth" to touch this - on stage or screen.
This has the darkness, the danger and the madness that so often eludes those who try to bring this piece to life. McKellen and Dench are awe-inspiring, evidencing the intelligence that makes a great Shakespeare actor able to communicate the force and meaning of every word without either condescending or over-emphasising. A joy.

Far inferior to Polanski version
If you are looking for a film version capturing the atmosphere of the play, go for Polanski (1971) rather than Judi Dench and Co. Even though Dame Dench and her fellow actors do an excellent job, watching drama on a screen is not particularly effective, simply because the immediacy of a live performance is missing. Unless you are interested in the production of drama, stay clear of this version and go for one of the classic films - Polanski's, Welles' or Kurosawa's - instead.

Absolutely superb
The use of light & dark is fantastic. It's in colour but looks like black & white.

Comes across as a stage play (which it is!) and avoids the temptation to go for lavish sets, e.g., the battle scenes, just because it's a film.

I saw the original stage play and this is just as good. The best filmed Shakespeare tragedy I've seen. Absolutely superb