I think that Polanski's "Macbeth" is truly an outstanding film. I wonder why I have never before heard how good it is (and I was a young adult when it came out in 1971). Maybe it was too bloody for most people. However, the gore is not gratuitous. The sights and sounds of this film are powerfully realistic, and greatly enhance the action. "Opening up" this play was for the best. The things Polanski added work: Showing the murder of Duncan (and others) and the remarkable hanging of the Thane of Cawdor are examples of how a film, in the right hands, can sometimes give more than the stage play. And what was taken away is not greatly missed. It is still essentially Shakespeare, excellently performed by a cast of non-stars. What is left is a movie with all the look and feel of a brutal, fierce Scotland of old, which is perfect for this story. It is hard to imagine another filmed version of the play surpassing this one; call this definitive. A perfect 10.
