MovieChat Forums > The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971) Discussion > The best Shakespeare adaptation ever, ba...

The best Shakespeare adaptation ever, bar none.

posted 20 years ago by tomolongo
20 replies | jump to latest

This fantastic production brings the material to life as no-one else ever has, and I've seen 'em all.
PLEASE don't start writing in about Mel Gibsons 'Hamlet', as It would be great to keep the discussions on an adult level.
But seriously, Polanskis choice of Jon Finch in the lead role is spot on. Using a star, as you have to these days, ruins it for us, the suffering herd.
Imagine Tom Cruise simpering his way through the noble prose..!

The end fight scene alone is worth a billion Jackie Chan pantomimes.

Tintin Quarentino

[–] Degree7 8 years ago

What about Kurosawa's Throne of Blood?

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] carpathianwolff 8 years ago

it really is a toss-up... Polanski's MacBeth is the best straight adaptation... but Throne Of Blood was made by one of the best filmmakers ever... they are both incredible films.

[–] Jones70 (6195) 5 years ago

good to hear that

[–] jriddle73 (323) a year ago

I wouldn't rank it as the all-time best only because there are so many great ones. Looking at Macbeth alone, there's this, the Welles version and the Kurosawa version, top-tier classics all. I definitely think Polanski was the best of that batch but others could make arguments for any of them. There are a lot of great "lesser" versions too.