MovieChat Forums > Macbeth (1949) Discussion > Those crowns....

Those crowns....

posted 16 years ago by Marius-Creb
7 replies | jump to latest

Personally, I enjoyed this film. I adore Orson Welles, and I've always liked Macbeth, but there were some scenes that I had trouble taking seriously because of Orson's headwear. My goodness. First he sports a cardboard, gold-painted crown that reminds one of those paper crowns they used to give away at Burger King, and then he dons a plush circlet. I watched this with some of my friends, and they snickered about him looking like the Statue of Liberty!

It's not all that important, though. This movie is still excellent. I just wondered if anyone else was as bothered by the crowns.

Oh yeah, and Birnham Wood coming out of the mist walking up the hill make me chuckle.

May The Force be with you

[–] Jason_Radley 15 years ago

Yes, he looked like King Rollo.

[–] natnce 14 years ago

That's exactly the description Welles himself gave. Unfortunately that was all they could get in terms of props from the production company. The production was massively underfunded.

[–] gorgsharpy 12 years ago

Statue Of Liberty crown was intentionally mocking US.

"You couldn't be much further from the truth" - several

[–] Prismark10 12 years ago

It was such an ill fitting crown, yet maybe more nearer to the truth in its setting.

Its that man again!!

[–] batigoal9-1 8 years ago

They were ridiculous but in a way I liked them. Everything else was toned down but the crowns were so over the top.

The story is Welles had very limited time and budget. Despite that, Welles did an excellent job.

[–] doroberts-1 8 years ago

I agree, that square crown with the horns is very peculiar. I thought so when I first saw the film, in the late 1960s, and I still think so. It's distracting, actually. But Welles' first appearance is almost as bizarre - - he is dressed like one of the Mongol horde !

[–] phony (214) 3 years ago

i think its intentional. the crown doesnt fit because he "stole" it from someone else. in the play his clothes also doesnt fit.