Film Adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth
“When we ask students about films they have seen and films they like,
they almost invariably talk about the narrative or action, with little
sense of how the visual composition conveyed the story. In teaching
them to ‘read’ film ,we have to draw their attention to the various
elements of film language.”[1]
From the above quote it’s fair to suggest that when answering this
question importance lies on the discussion of Film Language. The
assignment will therefore look at the various Film Languages. The
text that will be used is Macbeth[2] (Shakespeare), and Roman
Polanski’s adaptation (1971)[3] is the film that will be studied. A
case study will be made of a scene from the text/film looking at the
way in which Film Language is used, and to assess which Film Language
is used.
Baker (2003)[4] suggests there are three elements of film to
understand as Film Language; Camera, Lighting, and Sound, which can be
seen as Film Language at it’s most basic. Richards (1992)[5] divides
Film Language into three main groups, the Most - Used Cinema
Languages, the Contrasting Cinema Languages, and Other Cinema
Languages. Although there are many different film languages all of
them comprise of the three basic elements outlined by Baker. Each
named Language in Richards offers a different combination of Camera
Shots, sometimes united with Sound and Lighting.
In order to assess which Language is used and how it is used within
the case study it is important to verify what each language includes.
The following section will therefore be a brief description of each
Language.
The Most - Used Film Languages
Master Scene Film Language
Camera
The use of the camera is very important in this Language. The camera
placement is normal with no sharp angles, this is referred to as
Natural camera placement[6]. This Language also uses repeated shots
and the invisible cut. The ‘repeated shots follow a pattern of a long
The film Scotland, PA is an excellent adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece Macbeth because it makes the play more relatable to more modern times. The director took the plot of the play, but put it into the 1970s, being a much more relatable t...
William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English play writers, has had a profound influence upon different societies globally since the fifteenth century, for his plays inspire many contemporary artists to present new scopes reflecting their societies. Considered as one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Macbeth has a completely disparate interpretation of the movie Scotland, PA, which translates the original play into a black comedy. A Scottish royal and general, Macbeth the protagonist undergoes a demonic transformation in personality, in which he unethically takes the crown by murdering numerous characters. The director of the movie alters the plot while maintaining the basic semblance of power, ambition, and masculinity from Shakespeare’s work. In the movie, the alteration of the process Macbeth usurps the power of Duncan, including his internal and external incentives, gives the audience a fresh perspective on one of the English classical plays.
Filmmaking and cinematography are art forms completely open to interpretation in a myriad ways: frame composition, lighting, casting, camera angles, shot length, etc. The truly talented filmmaker employs every tool available to make a film communicate to the viewer on different levels, including social and emotional. When a filmmaker chooses to undertake an adaptation of a literary classic, the choices become somewhat more limited. In order to be true to the integrity of the piece of literature, the artistic team making the adaptation must be careful to communicate what is believed was intended by the writer. When the literature being adapted is a play originally intended for the stage, the task is perhaps simplified. Playwrights, unlike novelists, include some stage direction and other instructions regarding the visual aspect of the story. In this sense, the filmmaker has a strong basis for adapting a play to the big screen.
William Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Macbeth, is a tragedy brilliantly brought to the 21st Century by Rupert Goold. Although Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play set in 16th Century Scotland, Rupert Goold modernizes the play by changing the setting to a Soviet-styled country and implementing modern elements into the characters and theme. Although Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Rupert Goold’s film adaptation share many ideologies and a general storyline, a difference exists in the setting, the characters, and the overall ambience of the story.
Factors that are apparent in both the text and visual of MACBETH are the symbols and imagery used by Shakespeare and Polanski. Due to the different language modes used in both versions of MACBETH, the audience must themselves visualise the images in the text, since the main language mode is reading and can therefore interpret the images quite differently in comparison with Polanski's MACBETH. The main language mode in the film is viewing and listening, so the audience does not have to interpret the images for themselves because it has already been done for them, which enhances the audience's response and emotions to the dramatic development of ambition and deceptive appearances.
However, though Branagh’s vision is nothing short of cinematic genius, it neglects some of the deeper meaning that is illustrated within the original written play. Shakespeare’s subtle nuances and elaborate dialogue shape each character as the plot of the story unfolds. Branagh neglects the situational relevance of certain dialogue within scenes of the written play; relying more on visual effect rather than verbiage. Branagh’s use of editing creates a wistfully light-hearted adaptation of the play, and hastens the pace of the drama. While Branagh succeeds in creating many parallels between his movie and Shakespeare's written play, his use of visual imagery, characterization, and setting deliver an interpretation that stands alone as one of joyful camaraderie and humor.
It is very important how you put things up on the screen. It tells the viewer what the movie is about. Every single frame in a movie tells the fate of the characters.
The two scenes that the essay will be focusing on are Act 1 Scene 1
William Shakespeare's Macbeth In the tragic play "Macbeth", by William Shakespeare, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide, to kill King Duncan. In the play, we see the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth transform in their personality after murdering the King. Macbeth begins the play as a noble soldier, gradually changing into an ambitious murdering man. Similarly, Lady Macbeth is ambitious but she begins as a rebellious woman who dominates her husband, gradually changing into a guilt ridden, and weak woman.
William Shakespeare's Macbeth Shakespeare first showed Macbeth in the court of a newly crowned King James the First. Some people would argue that in places this was written as a piece of flattery for James the first. James was meant to be a descendant of Banquos' and therefore Shakespeare shows Banquo to be a valiant and heroic character throughout the play. However, Shakespeare had to be careful what he said in the play, as he didn't want to upset the King. This play could be written as a piece of propaganda or a warning to anybody who went against the King.
However, she may be old as she is determined to get her last chance of
member, a subject to the king, a king, a friend and as a person. By
account I think the witches did play a big part in the murder of king
William Shakespeare’s usage of stage techniques and language effects in Macbeth are extraordinarily used in creating gradual tension from the moment King Duncan is killed by Macbeth, followed by a short relaxation period and then increasing it again until the climax point of the act of regicide. The reader and the audience are kept in suspense right from the beginning of the play until the final scene.
Lacey, N. (2005). Film Language. Introduction to film (pp. 16-22). Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.