In this scene, the witches confer to decide when and where to meet Macbeth for the first time. They plan to encourage him by means of witchcraft to carry out deeds which will result in his untimely death.
This is not going to be a bright day bathed in sunlight, there is no sun in this Macbeth. Nothing else is happening so you notice this, and what Polanski is doing is drawing your attention to how he will use colour in the film. It is a measured, low – key start.
The shot is held, a cough is heard and a stick gradually appears in the bottom left foreground. An old wrinkled hand covered in grime is guiding it, as a circle is drawn in the sand. Hands scoop out the earth and dig down. There is a cut to a shot of a seagull circling the sky, sending out sounds of desolation.
A noose is taken from a cart that the witches are dragging with them, it is folded and buried in the hole in the sand. The witches have faces, one of them is young and does not look like a witch, she also does not seem to speak, the other two witches are old and one has no eyes.
A severed hand and forearm are buried and an aristocratic dagger is placed in its clenched fingers. This gives the idea of ambition, and a signal that daggers are going to be important later in the story.
At this stage it creates mystery, and intrigues the audience. The hole is filled and a phial of blood is thrown on the buried items, and its vivid redness takes us back to the opening shot,
The witches spit on the sand. The dialogue, ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and Filthy air.’ is spoken in low key. Also Polanski has changed the script by moving these lines to the beginning of the scene to create more tension earlier on in the film.
The witches walk off slowly into the mist and soft, eerie music starts. The way Polanski has changed the script slightly, has proved quite effective.
Polanski’s version of Macbeth is aimed at the more mature audience. I think younger viewers would have trouble in understanding the storyline, but at the same time I think Polanski has made it easier for students of the play to relate to the story by his use of colours throughout the play.
The ‘Animated Tales’ version is more simplified and short. This lasts 55 seconds compared to the four minute detailed scene Polanski has created. This would ideally be a better choice for children to watch as children have a short attention span.
The opening scene starts off with a Greek mask breaking up, this probably indicates Macbeth and his life being torn apart. While this is happening, a commentary explains the actions which are about to take place.
Dark colours are used, and also exciting music. The three witches then emerge into the scene, wearing dark, scruffy cloths, they begin their dialogue:
‘When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?’
The witches then hold hands, forming a circle, and swirl away, slowly disappearing.
In conclusion, I preferred Polanski’s version, probably because of the mysterious atmosphere created and the feeling of dark menace throughout the entire film.
As a play, ‘Macbeth’ captured my imagination from the opening scenes and held my attention until the very end,
