Macbeth Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Macbeth Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 11, 2016

Orson Welles' "Macbeth" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by Orson Welles biographer Joseph McBride; new featurette with directors Carlo Carlei and Billy Morrissette; new video interview with director Peter Bogdanovich; video interview with former UCLA Film & Television Archive Preservation Officer Robert Gitt; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring Jonathan Rosenbaum's essay "Orson Welles's Macbeth". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. Region-A "locked".

The King

Orson Welles’ adaptation of William Shakespeare's iconic play has little in common with the one Roman Polanski directed in 1971. The latter is a cold, graphic and unapologetically brutal film following closely Shakespeare's text, while the former is very much a low-budget chamber piece at best offering a loose interpretation of it.

The key events from the play are unchanged, but there are added fictional characters and embellishments that alter their significance. More importantly, in Welles’ film Macbeth is portrayed as a brittle man who prefers to stay in the shadows, seemingly content to suffer alone while pondering his fate.

The oddities, however, are easily lost in the thick fog that routinely creeps up between the camera and the actors. It is this dark and bleak world of Macbeth that the film is most interested in, the uncertainty and fear that thrive in it. Here, as strange as it may sound, Shakespeare’s words seem almost irrelevant.

This borderline surrealistic world is the very reason why some viewers praise this film and others dismiss it. Its bleakness overwhelms the story and gives it an entirely new identity -- one half of it possibly inspired by the work of the German expressionists, the other favoring the stylistic characteristics associated with film noir.

Welles is undoubtedly the heart and soul of the film, but admittedly the camera is too fond of him. There are sequences where simple close-ups are unnecessarily prolonged, while elsewhere panoramic vistas are repeatedly seen from his point of view.

The supporting cast is very good. Janet Nolan, who made her acting debut in this film, is very convincing as Lady Macbeth. There are different sequences in which she carefully manipulates the future king that are great. Dan O'Herlihy is impressive as Macduff. A very young Roddy McDowall plays is the rather naïve Malcolm. Alan Napier leaves a lasting impression as the Holy Father.

Welles shot Macbeth at CBS Studio Center with cinematographer John L. Russell , who in 1960 would go on to assist Alfred Hitchcock on the legendary Psycho. The film’s score was created by the great French composer Jacques Ibert.

*This new two-disc set contains two versions of the film which have been digitally restored. (Olive Films' first release of Macbeth had only the 1948 Version of the film). On Disc One, you will find the 1948 Version which is approximately 107 minutes long, while on Disc Two you will find the 1950 Version which is approximately 99 minutes long.

Macbeth Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Orson Welles' Macbeth arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

Please note that the screencaptures included with our review appear in the following order:

1. Screencaptures #1-14: Macbeth 1948 Version.
2. Screencaptures #16-25: Macbeth 1950 Version.

The press materials that I received indicate that both versions of the film are sourced from new digital restorations. I mention this because in 2012 Olive Films released the 1948 Version of the film on Blu-ray and on that release the 1950 Version was not included even as a bonus. (You can see our review of the first release here). Now, I don't know precisely what type of work was done, but while viewing the new presentation (including the 1950 Version) of the film and then comparing the work that was done for the French release, it appears that the most obvious source limitations remain the same. For example, the same density fluctuations are visible in virtually the same areas; the same fluctuations in terms of grain exposure are also retained. On the French release there is footage that has been cleaned up slightly better, though I can see that at some point work was also done on the current presentation. More importantly, the areas of the film where grain appears slightly toned down look virtually identical on both releases (compare screencapture #8 and screencapture #9 from our review of the French release), which makes it quite clear that this is work that was already done by different parties. (When we reviewed the French release, we confirmed that no additional degraining work was done at the time). The brightness settings are not identical. Generally speaking, the new restorations tend to look slightly darker, though it appears that brightness levels might have been slightly elevated on the French release. The actual discrepancies, however, truly feel mostly insignificant because it is easy to tell that the surviving elements are not in optimal condition and as a result various native limitations make it impossible to produce the consistent depth and fluidity that new restorations typically deliver. To be perfectly clear, there are no drastic drops in density and fluidity, but in an ideal world all of the different versions that are currently available on Blu-ray certainly could and should have a better balanced appearance. Ultimately, the new restorations of the two versions of the film offer various good optimizations that make it easier to enjoy them and at the same time appreciate Orson Welles' artistic vision. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Macbeth Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both versions of the film come with English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks. Also, both version can also be viewed with optional yellow English SDH subtitles.

The inclusion of optional subtitles will almost certainly make this release the clear choice for fans of Macbeth. While clarity and depth are very good, the highland accents could be quite thick at times. Obviously, on the edited shorter version this isn't much of an issue, but even there the subtitles can be helpful. Depth and clarity are very pleasing, though some sporadic 'thinness' can emerge from time to time. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.

Macbeth Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• 1948 Version - presented in 1080p/English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, Orson Welles biographer Joseph McBride discusses in great detail the production history of Macbeth, the different versions of the film, its reception in the United States and abroad, the film's unique visual style and atmosphere, the use of music, etc. Wonderful commentary.

Disc Two

• 1950 Version - presented in 1080p/English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

• Welles and Shakespeare - in this video interview, Professor Michael Anderegg, author of Orson Welles, Shakespeare and Popular Culture, discusses Orson Welles' long and quite fascinating relationship with William Shakespeare's work, his time at Republic Pictures, and the filming of Macbeth (with some very interesting comments about the Christian elements that were introduced in the film). Professor Michael Anderegg also discusses the filming of Othello and Chimes at Midnight. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Adapting Shakespeare on Film - in this new featurette, directors Carlo Carlei (Romeo and Juliet, The Flight of the Innocent) and Billy Morrissette (Scotland, PA) talk about their appreciation for Macbeth and Orson Welles' film. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080p).

• We Walk Again - presented here is an excerpt from We Walk Again, a 1937 WPA documentary containing scenes from Orson Welles' Federal Theatre Project production of Macbeth. In English, not subtitled. (8 min, 1080p).

• That Was Orson Welles - in this new video interview, actor/writer/director Peter Bogdanovich recalls his first encounter with Orson Welles in Los Angeles and discusses their rather fascinating relationship during the years. There are additional comments about Orson Welles' work, working methods, and the visual style and structure of Macbeth. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• Restoring Macbeth - in this video interview, former UCLA Film & Television Archive Preservation Officer Robert Gitt addresses some of the dilemmas he faced during the restoration and reconstruction of Orson Welles' original version of Macbeth. In English, not subtitled. (9 min, 1080p).

• Free Republic: Herber J. Yates and the Story of Republic Pictures - in this very informative featurette, archivist Marc Wanamaker discusses the fascinating history of Republic Pictures, some of its biggest hits and stars, and the filming of Macbeth. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080p).

• Orson Welles's Macbeth - an essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum. In text-format.

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring Jonathan Rosenbaum's essay "Orson Welles's Macbeth".

Macbeth Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are plenty of good reasons to recommend this upcoming two-disc set of Orson Welles' Macbeth. The most obvious ones are these: It has both versions of the film sourced from recent digital restorations and a good selection of supplemental features. Unlike the first release, this release also has optional subtitles for viewers that might need them -- and there are probably quite a few that will appreciate them. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.