The first of our three-part conversation about screen versions of 'Macbeth,' leading up to the new Joel Coen adaptation, kicks off with Orson Welles and Akira Kurosawa.
The banquet sequence in Throne of Blood has always struck me as hilarious. Asaji's very calm attempt to smooth over Washizu's over the top and erratic behaviour, and the tense response from the guests, is darkly comical. Maybe it's because of the pervading sense of dread throughout the rest of the film, but it feels like an outlet of sorts.
I really enjoy this format! Of course the deep dive is excellent, but it's also fun and distinct to get you two going back and forth in a more considered (I presume?) setting than a podcast. Looking forward to next week.
Luckily a library near me has two available copies of the Olive Films release - I look forward to diving in this weekend.
On a recent reread of Macbeth, what really stuck out to me was the scene containing Scott's opening quote (Act 4 Scene 3, which also contains the eternally relevant gem "Fit to govern! No, not to live.") Recently I've been thinking about Shakespeare a lot through the frame of governance, thanks largely to Ali Smith's wonderful Seasonal Quartet of novels' interrogation of post-Brexit Britain using various Shakespeare works as thematic pillars. I'm excited to watch along with you and see where this theme is picked up (I'm of course hopeful the Coen adaptation finds some room).
Love the idea for this, and indeed the discussion itself. I've seen Throne, but hadn't seen Welles' version and now want to rectify that. On the terrific final showdown in Throne, I remember reading somewhere that the arrow through the neck was done with a jump cut or something. Like they shot an arrow behind his neck, then had him done up with the two pieces stuck on and then rolled on that.
Great discussion. I just watched Welles’s version for the first time, figuring I should see before Coen’s version. I too found it much better than its reputation, and particularly admired the staging of Duncan’s murder, which was at once very theatrical and also boldly cinematic, something of a constant with Welles, especially in his early career. Keeping the camera on ground level with Duncan’s quarters on the second floor, allowing us to see Macbeth go to commit the murder and being with the moment in real-time even as it is happening out of our view, and then having him come back to the original space (where he had also staged Macbeth’s meeting with Banquo earlier). That Welles, good director.
The banquet sequence in Throne of Blood has always struck me as hilarious. Asaji's very calm attempt to smooth over Washizu's over the top and erratic behaviour, and the tense response from the guests, is darkly comical. Maybe it's because of the pervading sense of dread throughout the rest of the film, but it feels like an outlet of sorts.
I really enjoy this format! Of course the deep dive is excellent, but it's also fun and distinct to get you two going back and forth in a more considered (I presume?) setting than a podcast. Looking forward to next week.
Luckily a library near me has two available copies of the Olive Films release - I look forward to diving in this weekend.
On a recent reread of Macbeth, what really stuck out to me was the scene containing Scott's opening quote (Act 4 Scene 3, which also contains the eternally relevant gem "Fit to govern! No, not to live.") Recently I've been thinking about Shakespeare a lot through the frame of governance, thanks largely to Ali Smith's wonderful Seasonal Quartet of novels' interrogation of post-Brexit Britain using various Shakespeare works as thematic pillars. I'm excited to watch along with you and see where this theme is picked up (I'm of course hopeful the Coen adaptation finds some room).
Love the idea for this, and indeed the discussion itself. I've seen Throne, but hadn't seen Welles' version and now want to rectify that. On the terrific final showdown in Throne, I remember reading somewhere that the arrow through the neck was done with a jump cut or something. Like they shot an arrow behind his neck, then had him done up with the two pieces stuck on and then rolled on that.
Great discussion. I just watched Welles’s version for the first time, figuring I should see before Coen’s version. I too found it much better than its reputation, and particularly admired the staging of Duncan’s murder, which was at once very theatrical and also boldly cinematic, something of a constant with Welles, especially in his early career. Keeping the camera on ground level with Duncan’s quarters on the second floor, allowing us to see Macbeth go to commit the murder and being with the moment in real-time even as it is happening out of our view, and then having him come back to the original space (where he had also staged Macbeth’s meeting with Banquo earlier). That Welles, good director.