3.31 Macbeth (1606) in Full

Film Adaptations

High school was very much a time of mathematics, chemistry and Spanish.  But university was a radical shift to psychology, philosophy and literature.  For example, I studied Shakespeare, Drama and Poetry, each, for a year.  I excelled in the hard sciences, but I gravitated to the arts and did just as well there.

As a student at Northwestern University, then, I was enthralled to find out about the BBC Television Shakespeare.  "Macbeth" aired in 1983.   

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This 1997 production was directed by Jeremy Freeston, and stars Jason Connery (yes, son of the famous Sean) as the murderous Scottish King and Helen Baxendale as his eviscerating wife.  I especially liked the cinematography and soundtrack of this film.  So, for example, at points in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's evil deed, the camera goes hand-held (i.e., shakes) and we feel their balance- (i.e., order-) jarring purpose.

The couple unravel mentally and emotionally, each in their own ways, so I would've preferred that the Freeston captured this through more disheveled clothing, more disjointed speech, more horrific expressions.  Macbeth, for instance, seemed too put-together, still, after having just stabbed Duncan to death.  In fact, he was absolutely horrified at what he had done.

In all, this was a captivating production, and it impressed me with how compressed the plot was.  "Macbeth" was one of his shortest.  The descent from celebrated war hero, to beheaded murderer was rapid indeed.

Full Theatrical Reading

Complete Text

Macbeth

Note. The numbers in the title refer to the play number (3.31) and publication year (1606), which Wikipedia noted based on the Oxford chronology.