Roman Polanski

Macbeth

Macbeth

Roman Polanski imbues his unflinchingly violent adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy of ruthless ambition and murder in medieval Scotland with grit and dramatic intensity. Jon Finch and Francesca Annis give performances charged with fury and sex appeal as a decorated warrior rising through the ranks and his driven wife, scheming together to take the throne by any means. Coadapted by Polanski and the great theater critic and dramaturge Kenneth Tynan, and shot against a series of stunning, stark British Isle landscapes, this version of Macbeth is among the most atmospheric and authentic of all Shakespeare films.

Film Info

  • United Kingdom
  • 1971
  • 140 minutes
  • Color
  • 2.35:1
  • English
  • Spine #726

Director-Approved Special Edition Features

  • New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Roman Polanski, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Toil and Trouble: Making “Macbeth,” a new documentary featuring interviews with Polanski, producer Andrew Braunsberg, assistant executive producer Victor Lownes, and actors Francesca Annis and Martin Shaw
  • Polanski Meets Macbeth, a 1971 documentary by Frank Simon featuring rare footage of the film’s cast and crew at work
  • Interview with coscreenwriter Kenneth Tynan from a 1971 episode of The Dick Cavett Show
  • “Two Macbeths,” a segment from a 1972 episode of the British television series Aquarius featuring Polanski and theater director Peter Coe
  • Trailers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Terrence Rafferty

    New cover by Sarah Habibi

Purchase Options

Director-Approved Special Edition Features

  • New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Roman Polanski, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Toil and Trouble: Making “Macbeth,” a new documentary featuring interviews with Polanski, producer Andrew Braunsberg, assistant executive producer Victor Lownes, and actors Francesca Annis and Martin Shaw
  • Polanski Meets Macbeth, a 1971 documentary by Frank Simon featuring rare footage of the film’s cast and crew at work
  • Interview with coscreenwriter Kenneth Tynan from a 1971 episode of The Dick Cavett Show
  • “Two Macbeths,” a segment from a 1972 episode of the British television series Aquarius featuring Polanski and theater director Peter Coe
  • Trailers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Terrence Rafferty

    New cover by Sarah Habibi
Macbeth
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
Keith Chegwin
Fleance
Diane Fletcher
Lady Macduff
Credits
Director
Roman Polanski
Screenplay
Roman Polanski
Screenplay
Kenneth Tynan
Produced by
Andrew Braunsberg
Executive producer
Hugh M. Hefner
Associate producer
Timothy Burrill
Artistic adviser
Kenneth Tynan
Director of photography
Gilbert Taylor
Production designer
Wilfred Shingleton
Costume designer
Anthony Mendleson
Music
The Third Ear Band
Production adviser
David W. Orton
Assistant executive producer
Victor Lownes
Editor
Alastair McIntyre
Art director
Fred Carter
Fight director
William Hobbs

Current

Directing Macbeth
Directing Macbeth
In the following rare production footage, Roman Polanski directs a scene from his visceral, breathtaking 1971 film version of Macbeth. The particularly challenging set piece he is creating depicts the crucial moment when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsin…
Toil and Trouble: Making Macbeth
Toil and Trouble: Making Macbeth
In this five-minute excerpt from our new hour-long documentary Toil and Trouble: Making “Macbeth,” director Roman Polanski talks about the freedom adapting Shakespeare allows a filmmaker, and his unusual choice to cast young, physically attracti…
Macbeth: Something Wicked
Macbeth: Something Wicked

Roman Polanski’s dark vision is the perfect fit for Shakespeare’s grim tale of treachery and ambition.

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