Differences between this and the real play?
Can someone tell me about as many differences between this and the real play as you can?
Half fan, half troll.
1. Duncan sees the Execution of Cawdor, rather than be told about it.
2. Macbeth does not go outside the castle to fight at the end Young Siward and Macduff.
3. The two murderers are killed for not killing Fleance.
4. The witches perform the Double Double thing while Macbeth is there.
5. Macbeth drinks a potion that makes him see the Apparitions.
6. Lady Macduff reads the letter from her husband as a wreck (which I liked).
7. Banquo gives the speech about "By the clock tis day, etc." just before he is set upon by the murderers.
8. We see Duncan's murdered body being carried to Colmehill.
9. We see Macbeth murder Duncan.
10. Fleance recites some song.
11. No closing speech by Malcolm about the thanes becoming earls.
12. Added conclusion at end with witches and a character I will not reveal.
1. Ross is a duplicitous weirdo.
2. Seyton is given much more to do, absorbing others' lines in the process.
3. The scene between Lennox and the unnamed lord is split between Lennox, Caithness, Mentieth and someone else. In this same scene - Lady Macbeth sees blood on her hands.
4. Many scenes or passages are cut up and moved all over the place - which I really liked. Tremendous thought and brainstorming went into this thing (Polanski and Tynan would write in 16 hours bursts and they came up with some really great ideas). The above noted that Lady Macbeth reads the note as a wreck; indeed, she reads it twice. They revisit it in the end to mark how things have changed.
5. There are roughly 40 witches.
6. The witches are also clearly human. When the line "they have bubbled up from the earth" is done, it is because they live in an underground hovel.
7. Therefore, Hecate is out completely.
8. My favorite scene in the play is A4,S3: Malcolm and Macduff. 85% of it is gone, but in this version it doesn't work - I was actually not looking forward to it and was relieved when they started the scene when it was practically over.
9. In the play Macbeth's army doesn't fight hard - they are trying to be taken prisoner. In the film they are not only running out the back door of the castle, they are looting it while doing so. Brilliant!
Much more. Again, great lines go in and out at new places, as the above said in #7.
"Rampart: Squad 51."
Let me clear up Lady Macbeth reading her husband's letter. She gets it earlier in the film, yes, and is looking at it, but we do not hear her give the whole speech about the letter. She just mentions the "Hail King thou shalt be" part. When she is a total wreck, she looks at the letter again and reads it aloud from beginning to end, only leaving out the bit about the witches making themselves into air and vanishing (they didn't).
Also, that scene you liked between Malcolm and Macduff that is in England was cut down a lot. I think Polanski felt it wasn't necessary to show all that dialogue, including the English Doctor that comes in during that scene.