Comparing Goold And Polansky's 'Macbeth'

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Jayden Manabat Mr. Stambuli English 10 H April 4, 2024 Macbeth: Dagger Film Analysis William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is interpreted in many different ways. Goold and Polansky exhibit this in their films when they demonstrate Macbeth’s internal conflict. These two directors make use of many factors, such as lighting, facial expressions, and camera angles, to display Macbeth’s struggle with ambition and guilt. Both films make use of lighting effectively during the dagger scene. In Goold’s Macbeth, cool white lighting was used to set the tone, whereas Polansky’s Macbeth makes use of warm white lighting. Although this is a very minor difference, it creates a completely different atmosphere around the characters. The warm lighting used in Polansky’s rendition of Macbeth made Macbeth …show more content…

Facial expressions played an important role in both scenes. Goold and Polansky utilized facial expressions to compliment the impact that the lighting made on the characters. In Polansky’s dagger scene, Macbeth often had a look of worry on his face, enhancing his hesitance. This enhancement made it easier for the audience to understand the weight of the decision they needed to make. In comparison to Goold’s scene, where Macbeth had a look of solemnity and occasionally smiled from time to time, smiling added to his dangerous demeanor showing a hint of insanity. Furthermore, another factor that contributed to Goold’s interpretation was Macbeth’s deep, empty stare. This empty stare aids the audience in recognizing the fact that the dagger that he sees is completely imaginary. Despite all these elements affecting the scenes, there were still many other things to be thought about. Camera angles were another factor that contributed to both scenes. In order to assist the audience’s comprehension of the situation, Goold and Polansky took advantage of camera angles to present the scene

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