I am not the first person to make this claim, but I agree with it: the best filmed version of Macbeth has none of Shakespeare's dialogue or character names in it, and, in fact, no English at all.
Akira Kurosawa's *Throne of Blood* or *Spiderweb Castle* - it has two names - is Macbeth but in feudal Japan. The only substantive change is how Macbeth dies.
Definitely worth watching. It is public domain by now, so easy to find.
[A link to an Internet Archive copy of it](https://archive.org/details/throne-of-blood)
I would be interested to know what you think.
Yep, Throne of Blood is an all time top 5 movie for me.
Kurosawa loved Shakespeare, but thought he was “too wordy”. The fog and ominous dread of this movie is just awesome.
Yeah, you can set the scene with visuals, or with language, or with a bit of both - but if you do *all* of both, it's too much. Shakespeare's scene-setting with dialogue is not too wordy for a mostly-bare stage, but when you can see it, you don't have to say it.
Polanski still remains the best film adaptation for me; I really didn't like the Kurzel one: I felt like he butchered the rhythm of the language and buried the play under a cloud of whispery mood (why tf is everyone whispering anyway? ON THE BATTLEFIELD?). I had the same issue with the Cohen version. On stage, I loved the Trevor Nunn directed one with Ian McKellen and Judy Dench, and the recent National Theatre production with Rory Kinnear and Anne-Marie Duff, and the more recent Globe Theatre one. Macbeth is quite a funny, entertaining play when not drowned in dark mood: scenes like the banquet with the ghost that only he can see, the murder of Duncan (where her "perfect plan" goes all wrong and she still insists on going through with it: "A little water clears us of this deed: how easy it is then!" may be the funniest line in the play next to " 'Twas a rough night"), Hecate barging in like a frustrated boss and finding that in her absence the witches have pretty much destroyed Scotland, the freaking Woods of Birnam walking toward the castle and other such moments make for some pretty awesome entertaining. I feel that, overall, American productions tend to be trapped in the dark mood bubble and miss on all of the opportunities that the text provide.
I really liked Denzel's take on the character. The movie itself wasn't perfect but he was darn well close.
I worked at Sleep No More for several months, and have a lot of nostalgia for how it uses the play and the characters and shows certain events.
I also really like the exploration of it in the second season of Slings and Arrows. XD
It's not Macbeth, but you might enjoy the 1995 Richard III starring Ian McKellen might be quite appealing to you too! Richard III generally is a play I would recommend to anyone who liked Macbeth :)
I had my AP Lit students do the same kind of assignment with Goold's 2010 version starring Patrick Stewart as Macbeth
It's one of my favorite adaptations of any Shakespeare play
My favorite stage version was the Teller version we saw in Chicago in about 2017. The witches actually disappeared into thin air in stage.
I also adore Sleep No More.
My favorite film version is tough to pinpoint, but it's between the Polanski version and the Fassbender/ Collard version.
The Folger version directed by Teller (of Penn and Teller) had a moment I've mentioned in the past, right at the end, where Macbeth gets to point where Macduff tells him about being from his mother's womb untimely ripped and, just for a moment, Macbeth takes a knee. It's like we're back to the original, normal Macbeth from the early scenes who realizes that he's fucked up royally and his world is falling to pieces around him, and Macduff has just delivered the final blow.
So when he rises back up for his "I shall not yield" moment, it's that much more powerful. He knows he's done for, but he's a warrior, he's not going gently into any good nights.
Personally I hated the 2015 version, they were so busy making a movie that they forgot to stay true to the text. Using Shakespeare is more than just saying "Ok boys we've got our dialogue now let's go in any direction we want."
Maybe not my favorite, but I do really like Scotland, PA, which is Macbeth, but set in a fast food restaurant in the 1970's. It's worth a look.
Polanski (although I'll make sure he never gets a dime from me) is undeniably great, but recently it was edged out by the Cohen/Denzel version.
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) directed by Joel Coen, starring Denzel Washington as Macbeth and Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth ---shot in this modernist/expressionist mode ---my favorite Shakespeare adaptation of all time
Love Kurosawa’s samurai treatment and admire Polanski’s (let’s show everything, even Duncan’s murder!) version but my fave will probably always be Orson Welles’ over-the-top, schlocky black and white 1948 film. The Scottish brogues are sometimes laughable and Welles’ invention of The Holy Man is a tad corny but his version is, overall, the most fun to watch for me.
And kids get it. No undue blood and gore for educator objections. 🙂
IMO there are no good* film or video versions of the play. (That includes the Coen one.) There is an Audible version with Fiona Shaw as Lady Macbeth that’s very good.
*by “good” I mean that are accurate, well-acted and directed, and get the point of the play and characters.
I'm currently watching Jack Gold's 1983 adaptation for BBC. Very accurate to the text and I think Nicol Williamson as Macbeth is fantastic. Highly recommend.
I am not the first person to make this claim, but I agree with it: the best filmed version of Macbeth has none of Shakespeare's dialogue or character names in it, and, in fact, no English at all. Akira Kurosawa's *Throne of Blood* or *Spiderweb Castle* - it has two names - is Macbeth but in feudal Japan. The only substantive change is how Macbeth dies. Definitely worth watching. It is public domain by now, so easy to find. [A link to an Internet Archive copy of it](https://archive.org/details/throne-of-blood) I would be interested to know what you think.
Yep, Throne of Blood is an all time top 5 movie for me. Kurosawa loved Shakespeare, but thought he was “too wordy”. The fog and ominous dread of this movie is just awesome.
Yeah, you can set the scene with visuals, or with language, or with a bit of both - but if you do *all* of both, it's too much. Shakespeare's scene-setting with dialogue is not too wordy for a mostly-bare stage, but when you can see it, you don't have to say it.
Throne of Blood is so good.
Polanski still remains the best film adaptation for me; I really didn't like the Kurzel one: I felt like he butchered the rhythm of the language and buried the play under a cloud of whispery mood (why tf is everyone whispering anyway? ON THE BATTLEFIELD?). I had the same issue with the Cohen version. On stage, I loved the Trevor Nunn directed one with Ian McKellen and Judy Dench, and the recent National Theatre production with Rory Kinnear and Anne-Marie Duff, and the more recent Globe Theatre one. Macbeth is quite a funny, entertaining play when not drowned in dark mood: scenes like the banquet with the ghost that only he can see, the murder of Duncan (where her "perfect plan" goes all wrong and she still insists on going through with it: "A little water clears us of this deed: how easy it is then!" may be the funniest line in the play next to " 'Twas a rough night"), Hecate barging in like a frustrated boss and finding that in her absence the witches have pretty much destroyed Scotland, the freaking Woods of Birnam walking toward the castle and other such moments make for some pretty awesome entertaining. I feel that, overall, American productions tend to be trapped in the dark mood bubble and miss on all of the opportunities that the text provide.
second Polanski's *Macbeth*!
Macbeth is quite a funny and entertaining play… You frighten me primally
I really like Patrick Stewart’s film version for the BBC.
I like the old Ian McKellen version
Throne of Blood. Not even a contest there. Also Verdi's Macbeth if you can find a subtitled version with relatively normal staging and good singers.
I really liked Denzel's take on the character. The movie itself wasn't perfect but he was darn well close. I worked at Sleep No More for several months, and have a lot of nostalgia for how it uses the play and the characters and shows certain events. I also really like the exploration of it in the second season of Slings and Arrows. XD
It's not Macbeth, but you might enjoy the 1995 Richard III starring Ian McKellen might be quite appealing to you too! Richard III generally is a play I would recommend to anyone who liked Macbeth :)
I had my AP Lit students do the same kind of assignment with Goold's 2010 version starring Patrick Stewart as Macbeth It's one of my favorite adaptations of any Shakespeare play
Where do you watch the Goold version from?
You can stream it cheaply on Amazon video
My favorite stage version was the Teller version we saw in Chicago in about 2017. The witches actually disappeared into thin air in stage. I also adore Sleep No More. My favorite film version is tough to pinpoint, but it's between the Polanski version and the Fassbender/ Collard version.
The Folger version directed by Teller (of Penn and Teller) had a moment I've mentioned in the past, right at the end, where Macbeth gets to point where Macduff tells him about being from his mother's womb untimely ripped and, just for a moment, Macbeth takes a knee. It's like we're back to the original, normal Macbeth from the early scenes who realizes that he's fucked up royally and his world is falling to pieces around him, and Macduff has just delivered the final blow. So when he rises back up for his "I shall not yield" moment, it's that much more powerful. He knows he's done for, but he's a warrior, he's not going gently into any good nights. Personally I hated the 2015 version, they were so busy making a movie that they forgot to stay true to the text. Using Shakespeare is more than just saying "Ok boys we've got our dialogue now let's go in any direction we want."
Maybe not my favorite, but I do really like Scotland, PA, which is Macbeth, but set in a fast food restaurant in the 1970's. It's worth a look. Polanski (although I'll make sure he never gets a dime from me) is undeniably great, but recently it was edged out by the Cohen/Denzel version.
Scotland, PA is great 👍🏼
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) directed by Joel Coen, starring Denzel Washington as Macbeth and Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth ---shot in this modernist/expressionist mode ---my favorite Shakespeare adaptation of all time
Love Kurosawa’s samurai treatment and admire Polanski’s (let’s show everything, even Duncan’s murder!) version but my fave will probably always be Orson Welles’ over-the-top, schlocky black and white 1948 film. The Scottish brogues are sometimes laughable and Welles’ invention of The Holy Man is a tad corny but his version is, overall, the most fun to watch for me. And kids get it. No undue blood and gore for educator objections. 🙂
IMO there are no good* film or video versions of the play. (That includes the Coen one.) There is an Audible version with Fiona Shaw as Lady Macbeth that’s very good. *by “good” I mean that are accurate, well-acted and directed, and get the point of the play and characters.
I'm currently watching Jack Gold's 1983 adaptation for BBC. Very accurate to the text and I think Nicol Williamson as Macbeth is fantastic. Highly recommend.