Synopsis

"A harrowing and disturbingly funny parable for the dawn of the 21st century.” - New York Times

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth has been lauded as the finest production of Shakespeare’s Scottish play for over a quarter of a century. In 2000, it played to packed houses in Stratford, London, and theatres abroad.

All twenty actors from the original production, including Antony Sher and Harriet Walter, star in this compelling screen version of Gregory Doran’s original stage production. Cleverly reconceived for the camera, and brilliantly shot at London’s Roundhouse, Macbeth was filmed in a gritty style using the edgy techniques of fly-on-the wall documentaries. Doran says, “Macbeth is, in many ways, the most filmic of Shakespeare’s plays with its short, quick-fire scenes and its hurtling, dynamic momentum. In the film I tried to capture its raw energy and dangerous intimacy.”

The DVD version includes exclusive interviews about the play, the production and their performances with Antony Sher, Harriet Walter and Gregory Doran.