The Scottish Play

[shaggystu]

.....John Boorman's flawed but brilliant 'Excalibur'.

Flawed?!?!?!?!?!? how so????????
Next you'll be telling us that "Highlander" is somehow imperfect too

Cheers,

Stuart.

 

[sandbender]

I watched this the other night, no historical accuracy to speak of, Scotland was made to look like a desolate barren heath, which suited the play I suppose.

I thought Marion Cotillard was very good as Lady Macbeth, Fassbinder's accent leaped about a bit but he looked intense and desperate. The rest of the cast were excellent too.

It isn't a happy tale, the film brought that over, a bit slow in places I thought.

 

[Goatboy]

I'm looking forward to this one, historical accuracy was kind've expected to be bit the window as Shakespeare had very little in his play. Cracking story though and have watched a fair few versions over the years. Last one they were wearing DPM uniforms and carrying Sterling SMG's so kinda expect a little historical slide with the bard.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Wayland]

I'm not normally a fan of modernised versions but I have to admit I think Richard III worked very well.

The sense of discomfort produced by the Facist uniforms fitted to the depiction of a past regime, echoing the timing of the Bards play to the passing of the Plantagenets. Propaganda again but well illustrated.

My favourite is still Henry V by Branagh dispite it's faults.

 

[sandbender]

"...I think Richard III worked very well...My favourite is still Henry V by Branagh..."

Agreed, for both movies, I saw Ian McKellan's Richard III in the Cinema and thought the whole 'beer hall' speech scene was terrifying.

You can see it towards the end of Scene 12.

[video=youtube;wl73yZdvBGY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl73yZdvBGY[/video]

 

[Laurentius]

I'm not normally a fan of modernised versions but I have to admit I think Richard III worked very well.

The sense of discomfort produced by the Facist uniforms fitted to the depiction of a past regime, echoing the timing of the Bards play to the passing of the Plantagenets. Propaganda again but well illustrated.

My favourite is still Henry V by Branagh dispite it's faults.

Although I am a stickler for historical accuracy in movies, I allow the bard a great deal of artistic licence. There was no attempt at historical accuracy in his day, and Roman Senators dressed like Elizabethan courtiers, so why not contemporary versions, the great thing about Shakespeare is that he is so adaptable to all ages and situations. I have seen versions of the Scottish play set in Zululand, and in Feudal Japan, so why not? It is a classic story morphed onto a historical King.

 

[John Fenna]

I have never thought of anything by the Bard as even trying to be "History" rather it is some quite clever and entertaining propaganda/morality tale/fantasy with names and places slotted into it to sell the plays to the paying audience...
I liked Polanski's version of the play - especially the Porter scene