Macbeth (1971) The Tragedy of Macbeth (original title)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play) and
Roman Polanski
(more)

Release Date:

13 October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord siezes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.

Plot Keywords:

Throne | King | Tragedy | Guilt | Murder

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jon Finch	...	Macbeth
Francesca Annis	...	Lady Macbeth
Martin Shaw	...	Banquo
Terence Bayler	...	Macduff
John Stride	...	Ross
Nicholas Selby	...	Duncan
Stephan Chase	...	Malcolm
Paul Shelley	...	Donalbain
Maisie MacFarquhar	...	First Witch
Elsie Taylor	...	Second Witch
Noelle Rimmington	...	Third Witch
Noel Davis	...	Seyton
Sydney Bromley	...	Porter
Richard Pearson	...	Doctor
Patricia Mason	...	Gentlewoman
Michael Balfour	...	First Murderer
Andrew McCulloch	...	Second Murderer
Keith Chegwin	...	Fleance
Andrew Laurence	...	Lennox
Bernard Archard	...	Angus
Bruce Purchase	...	Caithness
Frank Wylie	...	Menteith
Diane Fletcher	...	Lady Macduff
Mark Dightam	...	Macduff's Son
Bill Drysdale	...	King's Groom
Roy Jones	...	King's Groom
Vic Abbott	...	Cowdor
Ian Hogg	...	First Thane
Geoffrey Reed	...	Second Thane
Nigel Ashton	...	Third Thane
William Hobbs	...	Young Seyward
Alf Joint	...	Old Seyward
Paul Hennen	...	Doctor's Apprentice
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Olga Anthony	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Roy Desmond	...	Dancer (uncredited)
David Ellison	...	Old Soldier (uncredited)
Pamela Foster	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Clement Freud	...	Hanging Man (uncredited)
John Gordon	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Barbara Ann Grimes	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Aud Johansen	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Janie Kells	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ronald Lacey	...	Macbeths man - killed Banquo (uncredited)
Howard Lang	...	Old Soldier (uncredited)
Dickie Martyn	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Terence Mountain	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Beth Owen	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Christine Paul-Podlasky	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Lynette Reade	...	A witch (uncredited)
Maxine Skelton	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Don Vernon	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Anna Willoughby	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits
William Shakespeare		(play)
Roman Polanski
Kenneth Tynan

Produced by
Andrew Braunsberg	....	producer
Timothy Burrill	....	associate producer
Hugh M. Hefner	....	executive producer
Victor Lownes	....	assistant executive producer

Original Music by
The Third Ear Band

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor		(as Gil Taylor)

Film Editing by
Alastair McIntyre

Casting by
Miriam Brickman

Production Design by
Wilfred Shingleton		(as Wilfrid Shingleton)

Art Direction by
Fred Carter

Set Decoration by
Bryan Graves

Costume Design by
Anthony Mendleson

Makeup Department
Biddy Chrystal	....	chief hair stylist
Tom Smith	....	key makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hercules Bellville	....	second unit director
Simon Relph	....	first assistant director
Michael Green	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Nigel Wooll	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jack Stephens	....	assistant art director
Kenneth Tynan	....	artistic advisor

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	dubbing editor
Simon Kaye	....	sound mixer
Nolan Roberts	....	dubbing mixer
John Ireland	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ted Samuels	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Gerald Larn	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Buckle	....	stunts (uncredited)
William Hobbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alf Joint	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russ Jones	....	stunt double: broadsword (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alec Mills	....	camera operator
Maurice Gillett	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rebecca Breed	....	wardrobe (as Jackie Breed)
Philippe Pickford	....	wardrobe (as Phil Pickford)

Other crew
Angela Allen	....	continuity
Sally Gilpin	....	choreographer
William Hobbs	....	fight director
David W. Orton	....	production advisor
Jeremy Taylor	....	horse master
Richard Vetter	....	process consultant

Production Companies

• Caliban Films
• Playboy Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1971) (USA) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

"The Tragedy of Macbeth" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1985) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Canada:14A (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 (2002) (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (1972) (cut version) | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:15 | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

Caliban Films

Trivia:

Roman Polanski wanted to include a violent bear-baiting sequence but it posed all kinds of problems. The first bear they tried to use was too timid and kept running away from the dogs, while the second was uncontrollably vicious and pawed a crew member. He eventually opted for an intrepid stuntman in a bear suit, but understandably the man would only agree to a single dog being set loose on him, fearing his armored padding wouldn't be up to the job. Polanski secretly instructed the handlers to loose three dogs, sending the stuntman cowering in fear, screaming at the director to call them off.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The lyrics to the song that Fleance sings at Macbeth's banquet for Duncan at Inverness are taken from the poem "Merciles Beautè" by Geoffrey Chaucer. In the context of the film this extraneously inserted song is itself an anachronism, as Chaucer lived in the fourteenth century and Shakespeare's "Macbeth" historically takes place in the eleventh century.

Quotes:

Macbeth:Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Camp Rock (2008) (TV)

An effective and stunning adaptation

Polanki's 1971 Macbeth was a real treat. Before I watched it I was expecting to sleep for two hours like I did most of the BBC versions of Shakespeare films. This however brought a whole realistic and gritty, almost pulp effect, to the famous tragedy. I do believe that Polanski was ruminating over his recent trauma of the gruesome murder of his wife, Sharon Tate. And a great deal of his emotion is evident in the carnage of this film. However, Macbeth is a bloody story to begin with. I feel Roman was correct in revealing rugged Medieval Scotland in all of its bleak and grisly details. Jon finch is well cast as the ferocious thane whose personal insecurity and manipulations from his wife lead to his demise. Francesca Annis is correctly unorthodox playing Lady Macbeth with faint shrewdness and not too shrill. She is a perfect foil to her counterpart as she is both poised and stunningly beautiful. The fight scenes are believable without looking too choreographed. Polanski took artistic license a bit while wavering from the script and adding his avant garde effects. They are effective and help illustrate the play without deviating too much from the archaic language. This would not be a good choice for the squeamish, but for those looking for a bit of culture, history and film noir, Polanski's Macbeth is worth seeing.