The Tragedy of Macbeth

Starring:Jeremy Brett, Piper Laurie, Simon MacCorkindale, Richard Alfieri, Barry Primus, Millie Perkins, Alan Oppenheimer, Franklyn Seales, Jay Robinson, Brad David, Nomi Mitty, Maria Mayenzet, Eugenia Wright, Johnny Crawford, Stanley Waxman, Alan Mandell, Phillip Persons, Robert Aberdeen, Fredric Cook, Tim Prager
Director: Arthur Allan Seidelman
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Two of England's greatest actors, Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench, electrify in this lean, stripped-down production of Shakespeare's darkest tragedy. In the wake of a battle, the Scottish warrior Macbeth (McKellen, Gods and Monsters, Lord of the Rings) receives a prophecy from a trio of witches: He shall be king. When fate doesn't unfold quickly enough, Macbeth and his even more ambitious wife (Dench, Shakespeare in Love, Iris) decide to give it a push. McKellen sweats anxiously and oozes a creeping lust for power, while Dench is hypnotically vicious from her first moment. For audiences used to their film careers, this grand pair will seem young as pups (this TV movie is from 1979, adapted from an acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company production)--but that only gives them an added edge of sex and vigor. Extras include the older McKellen thoughtfully commenting on the play and this classic production. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Murder, prophecy, and witches! MACBETH returns, starring Academy Award®-nominee Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Academy Award®-winner Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love), on DVD for the first time anywhere. First broadcast on Britain's Thames Television in 1978, this stark, compelling performance of Shakespeare's MACBETH retains the entire cast of the original 1976 Royal Shakespeare Company production, directed by three-time Tony Award®-winner Trevor Nunn (The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby, Cats, Les Mis rables). When a trio of witches prophesize Macbeth's (Ian McKellen) ascension to the throne, Lady Macbeth (Judi Dench) pushes her husband into a murderous spree. But once crowned king of Scotland, Macbeth sees ghastly visions, fueled by guilt and a new prophecy, that ensure his ultimate downfall. Also starring John Woodvine (Wuthering Heights) as "Banquo," Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi) as "the porter", and Bob Peck (Jurassic Park) as "Macduff."

System Requirements:

Running Time 1316 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

disappointed.......2007-05-09

I was disappointed that the description of this DVD stated that it was closed captioned, but it is not. Since the captioning was the main selling point for me, it was a useless purchase.

A test for great theatre.......2007-03-30

This version of Macbeth probes that for having the greatest theatrical experience all you need is a superb text, real actors and an IDEA. Trevor Nunn produced an unique experience, and the McKellen/Dench duo is simply perfect. Specially her... no one else can stand besides Dame Judi daring to be called "Lady Macbeth".
Yes, the quality is not as we could wish (it is 1978 and for TV!) but nevertheless the whole film blows up any big studio production of Shakespeare`s bloody text.
Again: master text, great actors and someone with an idea. That`s theatre!

Definitive Macbeth.......2007-01-22

I liked this DVD very much. I watched several versions of that play, but this one is my favourite now, I can't imagine a more brilliant and powerful Macbeth & Wife than sir Ian and dame Judi. Unforgettable.

Awesome Judi.......2007-01-16

If you are a Dame Judi Dench fan and you haven't seen Macbeth, you're missing a most ingenious performance. She never fails to entertain and this phenomenal award winning actress will really astound you with this rivetting performance. In the entertainment business there are good actors and great performers...Jude is "entertainment squared" in Macbeth.
In one part she emits the most eeriest primal scream I've ever heard. With Dame Judi she makes you believe she is the character in a way no one else can. Dench fans..this is a must.

A performance of historic importance........2007-01-07

Trevor Nunn's 1979 Thames Television production of "Macbeth," directed by Philip Casson, is a dark, stripped-down, claustrophobic version that emphasizes the furnace-fire terror of Shakespeare's play. As star Ian McKellen tells us in an introduction and reminiscence included in the DVD's special features, the broadcast documents a production of the play that had been running, with the same cast, for the previous three years in Stratford and London. The cast had become a family by then, he tells us, and its members were so in tune with each other that the film took less than a week to shoot, rather than the usual several weeks. The sheer fluidity of the performances attests to the teamwork the cast members had achieved. The camera, shooting mostly in close-up, offers the actors nowhere to hide; they must give us the whole, unvarnished truth of the story with their faces and voices, and that they do. McKellen makes a brilliantly Stalinesque Macbeth, spiraling unforgettably into murder, paranoia, and nihilism. Judi Dench is, if anything, even better than McKellen; the extended, ripped-flesh scream she rips from herself during Lady Macbeth's final soliloquy seems to emanate from the Ninth Circle of Hell. Also notable are Roger Rees as Malcolm, John Woodvine as Banquo, and Ian McDiarmid as Ross. Not all of the performances, alas, are on this level. Although McKellen pays loving tribute to the late Bob Peck in his reminiscence, I found Peck's performance as Macduff inexplicable at times. (When a man hears that his wife and children have been murdered, don't you think his reaction would be a little less, well, CLINICAL?) Nevertheless, this has to be counted as a Shakespearian performance of historic importance, with the two greatest Shakespearian actors of the late 20th century giving us their definitive versions of Lord and Lady Macbeth. This is a must-buy for anyone with even the slightest interest in Shakespeare.

Verdi - Macbeth / Paskalis, Barstow, Morris, Erwen, Pritchard, Glyndebourne Opera

Average customer rating:

Sound and Fury
Excellent
¡Por fin un Macbeth como debe ser!
Superb 'Macbeth' from Glyndebourne
Barstow's show

Verdi - Macbeth / Paskalis, Barstow, Morris, Erwen, Pritchard, Glyndebourne Opera
Starring: James Morris , Kostas Paskalis , Keith Erwen , Josephine Barstow , and John Pritchard
Manufacturer: Arthaus Musik
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0007ORDNG
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Customer Reviews:

Sound and Fury.......2007-01-09

This is an atmospheric, if drab, production, with two powerhouse performances to recommend it. Paskalis is a superb Macbeth, virile, meglomaniacal (when he's not being just plain maniacal), with a robust, rich voice. Barstow's performance is a little raw, a little forced, but her commitment to the role is nothing short of remarkable. There's fine support from a young(ish) James Morris and tenor Keith Erwin. Pritchard keeps things moving admirably, more so in the chorales that end Acts 1 & 2. All in all, this is as fine a "Macbeth" as you're likely to find on DVD at present.

Excellent.......2006-02-21

This DVD is not only the best MacBeth available, it has excellent sound as well.

¡Por fin un Macbeth como debe ser!.......2005-07-19

Macbeth es sin dudas una de las grandes óperas de Verdi, a pesar de algunos ripios que tiene la orquestación propios de sus años iniciales. La belleza de sus arias y de sus coros como así también el acertado desarrollo de los personajes que intervienen en la tragedia, cuya base está tomada del gran Shekespeare, hacen de esta ópera una de las obras más atractivas del repertorio operático italiano.
Las exigencias tanto musicales como histriónicas que se plantean a los cantantes son muy altas, pudiendo afirmar que en esta versión todas ellas quedan ampliamente satisfechas. Especialmente hay que destacar a los dos personajes principales. Paskalis es un excelente barítono dotado de una voz de registro amplio y poderosa, que maneja con una técnica estupenda, la que llega a niveles excepcionales en el manejo del pianissimo. Adicionalmente es un gran actor. Ojalá lo pudiéramos ver en papeles como Rigoleto, Simón Boccanegra o Iago, en los que sin duda luciría todos sus atributos. Por su parte, Barstow alcanza alturas similares interpretando el papel de Lady Macbeth, difícil tanto en lo histriónico como por las tremendas demandas vocales. Su registro de mezzo-soprano es poderoso y bello, y su aparición final en estado de locura es realmente sobrecogedor.
Morris es un Banquo de noble expresión y acertada emisión. Erwen tiene un agradable timbre y un acertado volumen de emisión, sin embargo no logra entregar el pathos que exige la bellísima área "A la paterna mano".
La puesta en escena, si bien muy simple, logra ambientar el drama en la Escocia de la época. Muy destacable son los vestuarios que combinan lo moderno de sus estampados con lo clásico de sus diseños.
Sin dudas, se trata de la mejor versión de Macbeth en DVD, superando a la puesta en escena de la Opera de Zürich, que cuenta también con muy buenos cantantes, precisamente por la ambientación que se logra en el escenario y por los vestuarios.

Superb 'Macbeth' from Glyndebourne .......2005-06-28

The 1972 'Macbeth' from Glyndebourne is a strong contender among the DVD versions of Verdi's opera. The sets are effective in conveying the bleak desolation of Scotland as Verdi and Shakespeare saw it. Kostas Paskalis sings strongly as Macbeth even if his acting is not of the oscar-winning variety. Josephine Barstow is a ball-breaker of a Lady Macbeth,whom I for one would not fall foul of. Keith Erwen and james Morris fill their roles decently and the singing and orchestral playing cannot be faulted. The Berlin version with Bruson and Zampieri remains my number 1 choice but Glyndebourne is a worthy 2nd choice.

Barstow's show.......2005-04-20

One of Barstow's signature roles, performed in 1972, in an excellent production from Glyndebourne. What a magnificant achievement. Barstow steals the show, she is vocally a marvel, as well as an excellent actress. Pity about the sound. Arthaus needs to realise that they face stiff competition from DG and TDK, regarding DTS sound.

Verdi - Macbeth / Sinopoli, Bruson, Zampieri, Deutsche Oper Berlin

Average customer rating:

Sinopoli is a magician!
Union of Verdi and Shakespeare proves fruitful
Buy another version!
Una voz chillona
Screw thy courage to the sticking place!

Verdi - Macbeth / Sinopoli, Bruson, Zampieri, Deutsche Oper Berlin
Starring: Renato Bruson , Mara Zampieri , James Morris (IX) , Dennis O'Neill (II) , and David Griffith (VIII)
Director: Brian Large
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005ABW0
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Amazon.com

In English-speaking countries, we tend to look at Verdi's Macbeth, think of Shakespeare, and shake our heads a little sadly. Yes, it is a fine Italian opera, but it lacks the verbal richness, the psychological depth, the symbolic resonance, and the subtle characterizations of Shakespeare's tragedy. Dissatisfied with it himself, Verdi revised the 1847 original in 1865 but remained unhappy; it's not easy to stack yourself up against Shakespeare. He did better at the end of his career with Otello and Falstaff, aided by superior librettos.

Still, taken on its own terms, as an Italian opera of the mid-19th century, Macbeth stands out. It is a powerful look at ambition, violence, remorse, the dark doings of witches, and the spooky torments of a guilty conscience. The late Giuseppe Sinopoli conducted vigorously, and his numerous fans will specially treasure this recording, which focuses its cameras on him frequently. Renata Bruson and Maria Zampieri are both at home in their roles and they exult in the opera's many opportunities for melodrama. There is not much subtlety in this production, but that is true to the spirit of the opera. --Joe McLellan

Description

Macbeth" was Giuseppe Verdi's first attempt at music drama and also the first manifestation of his profound love for Shakespeare's work. Verdi took great pains with this opera, displaying special enthusiasm for it as he concentrated on the main characters of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth and the witches. This recording of Luca Ronconi's production is conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli, who brings fresh color to Verdi's score. The cast, headed by Renato Bruson and Mara Zampieri, are strongly supported by a fine-toned and adaptable chorus who ably meet the demands of Verdi's great "chorus opera.

Customer Reviews:

Sinopoli is a magician!.......2005-11-25

Giuseppe Sinopoli's untimely death was a great loss to the music world. A tremendous, sensitive interpreter of Italian opera, this video DVD is a valuable document of his art and should be so treasured. We are fortunate that it shows a great deal of his conducting, his careful attention to detail, emotional involvement and communicating power. Notice for example the finale of the first act, the breathtaking `a capella' ensemble with the heartbeat- like tympani accompaniment later joined by the orchestra with a beautiful melody that seems to descend straight from heaven.
Macbeth is an important work in Verdi's opus. Here he used Shakespearean text and attempted serious characterization for the first time. He took great pains for the parts of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as well as the chorus of the witches and understood the meaning of the play perfectly which in turn reflected in the characters and the music as well.
The two principals are beyond praise. Renato Bruson is one of the greatest baritone of our time with strong and sensitive voice. His forte is powerful but he is also capable of true pp singing and his characterization is a marvel. Maria Zampieri is literally "fire eating" in the Callas sense in her formidable role, but signs of strain are noticeable at times. Still...it's quite an experience to watch and hear her. Her eyes seem to have a life of their own.
The lesser roles..... James Morris, the great bass-baritone from the Met has good voice and sensitivity for the tragic Banquo , while Dennis O'Neill is fine in the 'one aria' tenor role, as Macduff.
Production of the Deutsche Oper is suitably sparse with aptly blood-red costumes for the principals. Background of dark blue emphasizes the red and is very effective.
All in all : a great video, well directed with excellent sound and picture quality. Go for it!

Union of Verdi and Shakespeare proves fruitful.......2005-06-27

Verdi's 'Macbeth' premiered in Florence's Teatro della Pergola in 1847 is the first of his operas to show his genius n full flight. even the musically less satisfying original version stands head and shoulders above the previous operas and had Verdi only lived the same lifespan as Mozart it would have gone down to posterity as his masterpiece. The deutsche Oper Berlin does justice not only to Verdi but to Shakespeare. In Florence the composer urged the singers to 'better serve the Maestro's poet@ i.e Shakespeare, an injunctioned the present cast have followed to the letter. Renato Bruson and Mara Zampieri portray a guilty couple haunted by the consequences of their actions and darken their tone accordingly.Zampieri in particular invites comparison with Shakespearean actresses in the role rather than her soprano colleagues (compliment intended) and in terms of vocal colouring far outshines the grossly overrated and (in this role) pedestrian Maria Callas. Only Shirley Verrett in the DG CD recording of the opera and Josephine Barstow on the Glyndebourne DVD comes within a roar of her in this role. Renato Bruson as her consort sings and acts magnificently. Only Capuccilli on the DG CD proves any sort of a rival. Dennis O' Neill and James Morris as Macduff and Banco prove far more than mere comprimari and make one wish their roles were more substantial. The chorus is equal to the herculean task allotted it by Verdi and the staging is solid if old fashioned. The late Giuseppe Sinopoli finds new things to say about the score. All in all, this is a 'Macbeth' worthy of both Verdi and Shakespeare.

Buy another version!.......2003-08-14

This is a very boring version of 'Macbeth'. Only Renato Bruson sings really well. Mara Zampieri is a good actress, but her voice wasn't in her best day. Neill Schicoff is really horrible here and James Morris isn't very well too.
Ronconi's production is really boring. There aren't anything in scene, only a real chair and some panels.
I don't like Sinoppoli very much.
In resume, don't spend your money with this, buy another version.

Una voz chillona.......2002-04-30

En español decimos "voz chillona" cuando el timbre es más agudo de lo necesario. Si hubiese recordado que la voz que no me dejaba llegar al final de la Fanciulla del West era la de esta misma cantante, no hubiese adquirido esta versión de Macbeth. Durante todo el tiempo no hago más que pensar cómo hubiese gozado escuchando a María Callas en un papel de tanta fuerza. Haré un esfuerzo nuevamente para degustar los intrigantes agudos de alguien que intriga tras el trono.

Screw thy courage to the sticking place!.......2001-12-30

This production from Berlin in 1987 finds conductor Sinopoli and team in good form. Sinopoli's conducting is very rhythmic and exciting overall, but tends to be somewhat rushed in places. The orchestra and chorus do a good job and one can hardly fault the ensemble work of all the performers involved.

The production is traditional (and also minimalist). Yes, true emotion is seldom touched on here, but I'd rather have this type of melodramatic approach than the kind of contrived production 'concept' to which one is so often subjected. The costumes are realistic to the period, but it is a very static production: note that as the aria begins the character usually takes centre stage! That being said, I have to mention that there is something very effective about dressing Macbeth and Lady M almost entirely in red: to indicate the innocent blood they will/have shed?

Renato Bruson as Macbeth sings the role very well, and one wonders if anyone can surpass this achievement. However, do not expect a dramatically compelling interpretation.

Mara Zampieri has a sinister enough voice for Lady M. She has a magnificent technique: good coloratura and an exceptional trill. For me her interpretation does not match Callas's Lady M, as Zampieri lacks two things: she is often out of tune on acuti and her interpretation is not very subtle. And nit-picking: she omits the top D-flat in the sleep-walking scene. Nonetheless, we can be grateful for her presence in the cast.

The supporting cast, which includes James Morris and Denis O'Neill, sing well, and I cannot think of better 'comprimarias' than those two.

Description

The tragedy of a king so blinded by ambition and paranoia that he senselessly murders those in his path--eventually leading to his own demise. Macbeth encounters three prophesying witches on his journey home from battle. Macbeth's ambitions are kindled by the witches' prediction that he will someday be king. In an effort to hasten the prophecy, he and Lady Macbeth plot the murders of those in the way. Under the strain of the heinous crimes, Lady Macbeth dies, and Macbeth edges toward insanity. Macduff organizes a force to overthrow Macbeth. In the tragic climax, the two duel, Macbeth is killed, and King Duncan's eldest son, Malcolm, becomes king. Featuring Jeremy Brett as Macbeth and Piper Laurie as Lady Macbeth.

Customer Reviews:

short 2 hour version is missing one or two key scenes........2007-02-07

you know i've seen many renditions of Macbeth and in some plays he comes off almost as a Hamletlike Macbeth,(conflicted to abstraction)In this version he comes off just plain MEAN!! His wife mean and cold. Actually the worse the acting job in portraying this hellish couple,the more real to life. They just aren't likable people,brutal and agressive.However this version did cut out the critical scene when MacDuff tries to sway the English power against Macbeth. This is important because no matter how bad Macbeth is,the English worry that Macduff could be worse,so they put Macduff through a test of character.To the English,Macbeth is "the Devil we know",as opposed to the one we don,t. This is a major scene in the play and to omit it is a mistake. But the good note is that the Hell porter man is there in all fullness complete with drunken accents.

Does the job well enough.......2007-01-09

I picked up this DVD to help my son to supplement his reading of the play for his high school Lit class. The play is staged quite simply, and is shot basically the way one would see it on stage, with few tracking shots or camera tricks. The set is quite spare -- a few columns here and there for the actors to walk around. The costuming is simple and mostly traditional.

The back of the DVD claims that the actors avoid speaking in English accents, which is supposedly an aid to American listeners. Frankly, this did not help me much, as some of the actors still spoke in "stagey" English and not in contemporary accents. The production stayed very close to the written play, which was suitable to the purpose I had in mind -- give me a sense of the play without lots of adaptations and scene cutting.

I thought Jeremy Brett did a fine and muscular job as Macbeth. However, I often found Piper Laurie (as Lady Macbeth) hard to understand. The witches and their familiars get more stage time than a reading of the play might suggest. This does not detract from the action, but suggests the continuing presence of their malign influence on Macbeth and others. The rest of the cast was quite competent and intelligible.

I don't agree completely with the very low ratings given by many reviewers. This Macbeth is a workmanlike and straightforward rendering of "The Scottish Tragedy." Taken for what it is, it is quite acceptable, if not exemplary.

Too much 'Method' in this madness.......2006-06-22

Method actress Piper Laurie made me laugh out loud when she began the "Come you spirits" speech as if she were trying to summon Blanche DuBois and Medea in one go. Can't imagine Mr. Brett's excuse for as abysmally poor acting. For even worse Shakespearean acting (and yes, it's not the same as playing any other texts) see two Star Trekkers (Ohura and the Russian guy) and a General Hospital star (Luke) in this series' "Antony and Cleopatra". Not a larfing matter in the end.

APPALLING DVD despite great actors.......2003-04-23

I love Jeremy Brett and Piper Laurie. Their combined talents offer what few enjoyable moments there are to be found in this Macbeth, but they unfortunately can't salvage this atrocious production. Seeing it is enough to turn someone off Shakespeare. (Should that happen, Al Pacino's delightful LOOKING FOR RICHARD is the perfect antidote to restore passion for the Bard). But I digress. I want to issue a warning to all who might assume the DVD version of this Macbeth would be superior to the VHS. In this instance, tape was simply transferred unto disk with no remastering or enhancements, and there are no extra features. The visual and audio quality is appalling. I regret buying this DVD when I already owned the VHS (..like I said, I love Jeremy Brett...) The only advantage is being able to skip the boring parts to get to the monologues. But that isn't saying much.

It was ok........2002-11-10

I'm not going to say that this is the best version of Macbeth that I have ever seen. I'm just saying that it was ok. In my opinion, whoever made this production should have cast someone who actually did Shakespeare. I don't even know if Jeremy Brett and Piper Laurie have ever done Shakespeare. The set is gorgeous. Something tells me that you had to be brave to stand on the ramp above the stage. Macduff Jr. is so adorable. I was saddened when the Murderers killed him offstage. I was so sad when I heard him crying offstage at the end of the scene. The biggest highlight of the video (I rented it from the library) was the Witches. I liked the Witches even more when I found out that one of the actresses playing the Witches also played Bianca in this series' production of Othello. She's better at being evil than good. What especially charmed me about the witches was their costumes. I was expecting old chambermaid costumes or rags. I was also expecting old women, not sexy women. Then, there were the three demons, or apparitios as they are credited. They were freaky. I was especially charmed because the witches and the apparations appear more than once. Watch for them. They're pretty prominent. Other than that, just rent the DVD for the Witches, Macduff Jr. and the set. There is too much overacting from the leading players. They almost killed this DVD. Everyone else is good except for Malcolm. They obviously hired this guy because his chest is sexy.

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