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Macbeth

  • TV Movie
  • 19611961
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
186
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
42,456
2,901
Sean Connery and Zoe Caldwell in Macbeth (1961)
Drama
The Scottish Lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. He commits regicide to become King, and then furthers his moral descent with a reign of murderous terror... Read allThe Scottish Lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. He commits regicide to become King, and then furthers his moral descent with a reign of murderous terror to stay in power, eventually plunging the country into civil war. In the end, he loses ev... Read allThe Scottish Lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. He commits regicide to become King, and then furthers his moral descent with a reign of murderous terror to stay in power, eventually plunging the country into civil war. In the end, he loses everything that gives meaning and purpose to his life before losing his life itself.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
186
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
42,456
2,901
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Paul Almond
    • Writers
      • William Shakespeare(play "The Tragedy of Macbeth")
      • Paul Almond(adaptation)
    • Stars
      • Sean Connery
      • Zoe Caldwell
      • William Needles
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Paul Almond
    • Writers
      • William Shakespeare(play "The Tragedy of Macbeth")
      • Paul Almond(adaptation)
    • Stars
      • Sean Connery
      • Zoe Caldwell
      • William Needles
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos

    Macbeth (1961)
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    Top cast

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    Sean Connery
    Sean Connery
    • Macbeth
    Zoe Caldwell
    Zoe Caldwell
    • Lady Macbeth
    William Needles
    • Banquo
    Ted Follows
    • MacDuff
    Robin Gammell
    Robin Gammell
    • Malcolm
    Sharon Acker
    Sharon Acker
    • Lady MacDuff
    Bernard Behrens
    Bernard Behrens
    • Lennox
    Ray Bellew
    • Donalbain
    • (as Raymond Bellew)
    Natalia Butko
    • Second Witch
    Eric Christmas
    Eric Christmas
    • Porter
    Lawrence Dane
    Lawrence Dane
    • Seyton
    • (as Larry Zahab)
    Gillie Fenwick
    Gillie Fenwick
    • Angus
    Rex Hagon
    • Fleance
    Max Helpmann
    • Ross
    Jacqueline Ivings
    • Third Witch
    Hedley Mattingly
    • Doctor
    Victoria Mitchell
    Victoria Mitchell
    • First Witch…
    Peter Needham
    • First Murderer
    • Director
      • Paul Almond
    • Writers
      • William Shakespeare(play "The Tragedy of Macbeth")
      • Paul Almond(adaptation)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      Just before Lady Macbeth says, "When you durst do it..." the boom mic shadow falls onto her face and blackens it.
    • Quotes

      Macbeth: I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares do more is none.

    • Connections
      Featured in Take Thirty: Sean Connery on Being Bond (1965)
    • Soundtracks
      Bonnie Wee Thing
      Written by Robert Burns

      Performed by Sharon Acker

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Izh thish a dagger I shee before me?
    Sean Connery rocks in this! Although I prefer Orson Welles' more subdued, introspective Macbeth, here Connery delivers his own high-powered performance that you won't soon forget. This is a very theatrical version, full of sound & fury, histrionics and big arm movements. Cynical audiences might not buy into it, but if you were to go back to the early 1600s this is probably the way you'd see Shakespeare done.

    The plot of Macbeth, if you were snoozing during high school English class, is about an 11th century Scottish warrior who hatches a dubious plan to steal the throne. Spurred on by his wife Lady Macbeth, who wears the pants in the household, he finds himself swiftly slipping down the path of evil. It's the conflict between his dark ambition and his moral half that makes this IMO the most gripping of Shakespeare's plays.

    As I mentioned above, Orson Welles' famous 1948 version gives us a Macbeth who is repressed, depressed and deeply tormented. Many of his lines are delivered under his breath with an air of sadness, sorta like an "emo" Macbeth (which I actually like). In this version, Connery gives us a louder, more extroverted Macbeth who delivers all of his lines with a thunderous roar. It makes the pacing flow more quickly, and the whole film is like an unrelenting freight train from start to finish.

    The direction & cinematography are excellent, making extreme use of light & shadow as well as distance & perspective. Certain shots are very exaggerated with one character close in the foreground while another is far away. One may be brightly lit whilst the other is covered in shadows. This gives the presentation a surreal, creepy vibe sort of like a Hitchcockian horror flick. Sets are enormous, cold and minimal.

    I only took off a few points for some of the performances that were unconvincing and (this is nitpicking) several famous lines that were altered, whether deliberately or by accident. For example the famous line "Lay on, Macduff, and damned be him who first cries 'Hold! enough!'" is inexplicably cut short to "Damned be him who first cries 'Hold! enough!'" thereby losing its rhyme & rhythm. I caught 1 or 2 other instances of that. It bothered me because this is the only Shakespeare play that I actually read & remembered from high school. If I can remember the lines, why can't they??

    Oh, I also took off a point because the 3 witches were way too hot. I mean, homina homina, but in the original play they're supposed to be spooky bearded hags, not swingin' 60s go-go chicks!

    Final note about the picture quality... This is a public domain film which means there are a lot of lousy copies floating around. As far as I know, it has never been properly remastered. My copy is on the "Great Cinema: 15 Classic Films" DVD, and the quality leaves a bit to be desired. But for 5 bucks you can't go wrong. Check it out if you get a chance.
    helpful•25
    2
    • rooprect
    • Jul 13, 2012

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 22, 1961 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Макбет
    • Filming locations
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Production company
      • Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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