Comparing and Contrasting Two Versions of Macbeth Essay

The two versions of Macbeth were made in different years. The BBC version was lower budget and set almost as if it is a play being performed on stage. The Polanski version was a big- budget film which is set in real, outdoor locations. However, though each film is very different, they are both adapted from Shakespeare’s play. Sound is very important in a film; sound consists of three elements, these being dialogue, music and effects. In the BBC version of Macbeth, dialogue is the most important of these sound elements; this is because the BBC version is very closely related to Shakespeare’s play. In the BBC version, sound is used to tell everything; there are very few sound effects and very little music. Conversely, in the Polanski version all three elements share important roles. While the BBC version follows Shakespeare’s original script very closely, Polanski makes a number of changes to the script and sequence of events. An example of the original play being adapted is in scene one, in which he chooses to make very long so that he was able to miss our parts later on in the story. Instead of the witches meeting in the first scene, the witches meet and cast a spell using an arm. In the BBC version, this particular reference to a body part does not come until scene three. This is why scene one in the Polanski version is so long. The dialogue in the BBC version is identical to the dialogue that Shakespeare wrote. Though dialogue in the BBC version is the most important feature, there is music. Music is used to build up suspense at the very beginning of the film, this music starts and stops as does the use of thunder as pathetic fallacy. This creates an eerie and unpredictable effect. In the Polanski version, sound is a more subtle element. In scene one, everything is action with quiet sounds and the witches do not speak until two minutes into the scene. On the other hand, the witched begin to speak almost immediately in the BBC version. The mise en scene in both movies is important. A movie can be more realistic than in a staged play. This can be seen clearly in the Polanski version which uses elaborate, individual costumes which look very true to life. This is helped because the Polanski film had a big budget. The setting in the Polanski film was a real landscape and on location. Many props are also used; for example in scene one when the witches push a pram which contains an arm, a dagger and blood. Props add to any movie or play to make it more interesting. In this particular case, however, the props symbolic of what is to happen later in the play- gory murder. In the BBC the mise en scene is much simpler, being set more like a stage version- more dialogue, less scenery. In scene one there is only one setting. This scenery is much simpler and clearly filmed in a studio, it shows the witches situated on a rock in a dark area. The costumes the witches are wearing plain undistinguishing clothe: their black shawls are almost identical making the audience concentrate more on the dialogue, the mise en scene is a bonus, as opposed to in the Polanski version, where the mise en scene plays a more important role. Visuals are very important in both versions of Macbeth. In the BBC version there is only one shot in scene one, which makes it very similar to how it would be performed on stage. However, the difference is that the camera zooms in a the beginning and zooms further in to a close up of the witches’ hands at the end. This same effect could not be achieved in a stage version, In the third scene of the BBC version, there are many shots. This is because the scene is longer and includes more characters: Macbeth, Banquo, the three witches and two messengers. Whereas in scene one there were only three witches. In the Polanski version there are many shots; fifteen in scene one. Each shot is carefully made to portray something. Unlike in a play, a movie effectively tells the viewer exactly what to see at a certain point. One example of an important shot is the third shot in scene one where the shot goes from the three witches digging in the sand to a seagull flying in the sky. This shot may seem random at first but it was specifically chosen to show time passing. It can also symbolise a coming storm- seagulls flying inland means that there is bad weather brewing at sea. This can be connected as a sign of what is going to happen later in the story and what the witches are preparing, a bad spell. The use of lightning and colour is important in both versions. This can be noticed when the lightning in scene one in the BBC version and Polanski version is both red at the beginning. The colour red symbolises blood, a major element in the play and gives an indication to the audience of the bloodshed and murders to come. Colour is also important to portray the time of day. This is shown in the Polanski version at the beginning when it is dawn and the sky turns from red to blue, becoming brighter to show the sun rising. A red sky can also symbolise bad weather, as does the seagull later on. The saying goes: ‘Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight, red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning.’ I think both versions are excellent stories of Macbeth. The BBC version is more like the original play and focuses on the literary content; the Polanski version contains more action. Both films are helpful in aiding students to understand the content and themes of the play because the BBC version is very similar to the original play- the speech is the same, however, the Polanski version is more cinematic which makes it more exciting and helps students to enjoy the play. I preferred the Polanski version because it is not completely directed on dialogue but also on action and scenery. I found this more interesting and more realistic than in the BBC version.