#134: Roman Polanski's Macbeth

Macbeth

Roman Polanski
Initial release: December 1, 1971 (USA)
Also known as: The Tragedy of Macbeth (original title)
Roman Polanski's Film of Macbeth

images c/o FILMGRAB

Roman Polanski is a child rapist. He also made what's probably the most faithful adaptation of Macbeth committed to film (not counting Throne of Blood, which moves the action to feudal Japan.) Shakespeare can be difficult to translate to film and Polanski nailed it. Both of these facts can be true, and that's the most frustrating thing about Roman Polanski: he's a genuinely good filmmaker who nevertheless committed one of the worst crimes you can do to a child, then fled to Europe to avoid sentencing on his statutory rape conviction.

Controversy comes easily with a director who's not above sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Macbeth was no different; it was a commercial failure, derided by critics as being too focused on sex and violence. By 1971 standards, that's probably even true. That said, there isn't all that much nudity, aside from Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking in the nude (based on research that showed that people of the era slept nude, anyway) and a brief shot of a preteen boy taking a bath, which seems less innocent now given Polanski's later crimes. As far as violence, while there are brief shots of gore and the occasional overdose of Tabasco-color blood, by today's standards it's pretty tame, though a scene where Macduff's family and servants are murdered doesn't shy away from rape.

Another controversial issue the fact that the film was funded by Playboy Magazine, of all things. Some feel Playboy played an undue role in the film. And sure, there's an element of that; nudity was still controversial even by the early 1970s, despite the Hays Code being well and truly thrown in the trash by that point. But I think it makes sense for Lady Macbeth.

The genius of this film is how it turns the usual portrayal of Macbeth and his wife on its head. Both are played by relatively young actors; Macbeth, far from being a shrewd noble, is now just a scared kid pushed into something he didn't really want — sound familiar? Of course, Macbeth isn't entirely innocent, as he gets wrapped up deeper and deeper into keeping the impulsive conspiracy secret, and his descent into madness is reinforced through violence and some truly amazing hallucination sequences.

There's a lot to like about this film, despite the fact that its director is now probably more famous for his crime (and major Hollywood figures defending him) than his actual films. It strives for accuracy, the cast are all great, the cinematography brings new life to what was originally written for stage. Macbeth's visit with the witches alone is worth the watch.

There's a few Macbeth adaptations out there, some of them sacrificing accuracy in favor of forging their own vibe (Throne of Blood being perhaps the most well-known example) but if you want to see Macbeth as Shakespeare might have envisioned it, you might as well watch the child molester's version.

In conclusion, fuck Roman Polanski.

-june❤