Overview
A tale of ambition and guilt unfolds in the Scottish Highlands, where power comes at a terrible cost.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- visceral
- atmospheric
- serious film study
- dark winter viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Polanski's Macbeth as unsettling and uneven but undeniably compelling, with later assessments especially valuing its atmosphere and filmmaking.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Macbeth's murder of Duncan initiates his ascent to power and accelerating moral deterioration.
Polanski emphasizes bloodshed, hallucination, nudity, and disturbing imagery within Shakespeare's tragedy.
The film presents eleventh-century Scotland as a harsh world of battles, murder, betrayal, and exposed bodies.
The witches' predictions shape Macbeth's confidence and decisions while dramatic irony exposes their danger.
Films like Macbeth, and why
Throne of Blood
stylized Shakespearean tragedy, psychological deterioration, and brutal medieval atmosphere
The Tragedy of Macbeth
violent historical tragedy centered on corrosive ambition and moral collapse
King Lear
dark period drama, political betrayal, and a protagonist's descent into tyranny
Movie Details
- Director
- Roman Polanski
- Release Date
- 1971-12-20
- Runtime
- 141 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (306)
Cast
- Jon Finch
- Francesca Annis
- Martin Shaw
- John Stride
- Nicholas Selby
- Terence Bayler
- Stephan Chase
- Paul Shelley
- Noel Davis
- Richard Pearson
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Macbeth about?
- Roman Polanski turns Shakespeare's tale of murderous ambition into a grim, visceral descent through medieval bloodshed, guilt, and tyranny.
- What is Macbeth like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Macbeth as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Macbeth violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Macbeth as graphic.
- What did critics think of Macbeth?
- Critics broadly regard Polanski's Macbeth as unsettling and uneven but undeniably compelling, with later assessments especially valuing its atmosphere and filmmaking.
- Which films are like Macbeth?
- Films with a similar feel include Throne of Blood, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and King Lear.
- How long is Macbeth?
- Macbeth runs 141 minutes.
- Where can I watch Macbeth?
- In United States, Macbeth is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
