Comparing Films of Macbeth.

Comparing Films of Macbeth

Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth,’ was first performed before King James I at Hampton Court in 1606. Since then, Macbeth has gone on to be an ever-popular play, endlessly produced by a sea of directors. Having recently watched two of these productions, the first by the Polish director Roman Polanski and the other British director Gregory Doran’s production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. It is apparent that there are great differences in how the two directors chose to portray the characters in the play. One of the interperative differences is in the character of Lady Macbeth.

In the Royal Shakespeare Company’s version we first meet Lady Macbeth in Act1 Scene5. She has black long hair, very pale skin, a slim figure and is dressed in black. Many critics have commented that her appearance is rather witch like and this is exactly what most people expect her to be. We witness her reading a letter when she suddenly looks up. This is of course the letter sent by her husband telling her of the witches’ prophecy of Kingship. She looks directly into the camera and although she maintains a blank expression we can sense from her piercing eyes that her mind is already over flown with ambition. As she folds the letter and looks up, evil intentions are in her eyes. The next shot we see is of her in the bath and although she does not show a lot of emotion her eyes reveal that she is still thinking deeply about the letter. She then begins to beg evil spirits to “Unsex me here” before ducking her head into the water. This is done through a narrative voice. We don’t actually see her lips move.

In the Polanski version we meet Lady Macbeth in Act1 Scene5. The similarities end here. In Polanski’s version we see Lady Macbeth with long golden hair. This is often associated with innocence and femininity. But in Doran’s version she has black hair. This is generally associated with evil. It is also important to note that she is dressed in white. This is again associated with innocence and purity, which we know Lady Macbeth is not. Lady Macbeth is very calm and gentle in the way she talks. Once again this contrasts with Polanski’s version in which she speaks quite cunningly. ...

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Lady Macbeth’s final scene is Act5 Scene1. This is of course inversion as the first scene we met her in was Act1 Scene5. Doran uses further inversion in this scene as the last time we met Lady Macbeth she was wearing black. She is now wearing white. Doran, deliberately wanted us to notice this as he uses a black background to emphasise what she was wearing. In this scene we see her as a completely different person. When we first met her she looked very powerful and in control of herself but here we see her as totally out of control and insane. We also see that she depends a lot on the candle she is holding. This is ironic as in the ‘Unsexing Scene’ she called on darkness to fall on her. We also see her rub her hands hysterically to get rid of the blood. This is also ironic as she earlier said, “A little water will clear us of this deed.” At the end of the scene she finally stops crying, looks up, and with a sense of realisation in her face, says her last words. “What is done, cannot be undone.”

In Polanski’s Act5 Scene1 we see Lady Macbeth as she awakens. Looking down she screams as she sees blood on her hands. Terrified, she cries, “Gracious Duncan is dead.” We then witness her walk about her chamber naked. (Hugh Hefner’s promise of nudity has been realised.) We see her open a box and pull out a now well-worn letter and read it aloud. This provides a full-circle sense to the tragedy. It takes the viewer back to the beginning of the story and reiterates how the horrible chain of events was started. This was very clever of Polanski; through Lady Macbeth’s sobbing she reads it, in the raggedness of the letter implies many repeated readings, Polanski shows her as, not so much mad but consumed by remorse for what they have done.

I believe the two versions are very different, mainly because of the media they have been designed for. When Hugh Hefner promised at the launch of the film, a movie full of sex and violence I don’t think it would have particularly appealed to Shakespeare lovers. Conversely the RSC production is unlikely to appeal to the stereotypical playboy reader. This is reflected in both films and as a result they were very different. The Polanski version, is very good in its own right but my personal favourite is Gregory Doran’s simply because it has a more typical approach and is a lot truer to the text.

By Siobhan Mone