Macbeth **** (1971, Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Martin Shaw) – Classic Movie Review 774

Jon Finch does well in a fine, tragic hero film performance as the 10th century nobleman and tormented Scottish king Macbeth in director Roman Polanski’s lavish, great-looking and much underrated movie of the play by William Shakespeare. It has the immense benefit of a marvellous production, thanks to this costly production for Playboy.

In the script he writes with Kenneth Tynan, Polanski expectedly concentrates on pumping up the volume by stressing the gore and nudity, especially seeming to relish the Macduff household murders and Francesca Annis’s nude scene as Lady Macbeth. His attempt to popularise the play and find a big audience for the film is more than acceptable, and he largely succeeds in the first aim, even if he didn’t with the second when the movie headed to the small art houses instead of the hoped for big cinemas.

Polanski films vigorously and intensely, and there’s distinguished craftsmanship behind the scenes: Anthony Mendleson’s costumes won a 1973 Bafta award, and Gil [Gilbert] Taylor’s cinematography and Wilfred Shingeton’s production designs are also impeccable. It is produced by Andrew Braunsberg, with music by the Third Ear Band

It had plenty of mileage in the gossip columns of the press, and some decent reviews (it even found somebody to say ‘Best Picture of the Year’ for the poster) as well. But its lack of awards worldwide and box-office losses (reputedly $3.5 million) show the general apathy it encountered more or less everywhere on release.

There is some studio work at Shepperton, but the film benefits enormously from its location filming all over the UK, with Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland standing in for Cawdor.

Polanski sarcastically suggested that Orson Welles’s earlier 1948 version suffered from ‘leaky plumbing’ and said he could do better.

In 1969, Annis played Ophelia to Nicol Williamson’s Hamlet (1969) in London and on Broadway, but director Tony Richardson replaced her with Marianne Faithfull in the movie version. Polanski passed on both Williamson and Faithful for Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth because he alleged that Williamson lacked sex appeal and that Faithfull was having drug problems.

Williamson finally got to film Macbeth in director Jack Gold’s 1983 British TV production in the BBC’s definitive complete Shakespeare series.

Keith Chegwin (17 January 1957 – 11 December 2017).

Keith Chegwin (17 January 1957 – 11 December 2017) plays Banquo’s son Fleance.

Also in the cast are Martin Shaw as Banquo, Terence Bayler as Macduff, John Stride as Ross, Nicholas Selby as King Duncan, Stephan Chase as Malcolm, Paul Shelley as Donalbain, Maisie MacFarquhar as First Witch, Elsie Taylor as Second Witch, Noelle Rimmington as Third Witch, Diane Fletcher as Lady Macduff, Mark Dightam as Macduff’s son, Bernard Archard as Angus. Sydney Bromley as Porter, Richard Pearson as Doctor, Michael Balfour, Noel Davis, Sydney Bromley, Patricia Mason, Andrew McCulloch, Andrew Lawrence, Frank Wylie.

There is a new film version of the play in 2015, Macbeth with Michael Fassbender.

http://derekwinnert.com/macbeth-2015-michael-fassbender-marion-cotillard-sean-harris-david-thewlis-jack-reynor-elizabeth-debicki/

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review  774

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Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland stands in for Cawdor.

RIP Cheggers.