The Tragedy of Macbeth

In a story rife with blood, Macbeth misreads a prophecy as a call to regicide. When he is pronounced the new ruler, his paranoia spurns him on to employ increasingly violent measures to secure his position. Meanwhile, his ruthless wife drifts off into utter madness. In spite of the delightful pictures of the Scottish Highlands, Polanski's version of Shakespeare's classic may be the bleakest in the history of film: no heroes are shining here, all are only driven to their actions, or eventual failures. That is what lends Polanski's adaptation its modern quality. Incidentally, THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH was produced by Hugh Hefner (PLAYBOY).