MACBETH

[tonyw]

When I first saw the film on BBC TV in the 60s they ran the full version with Scottish accents. I don't believe the edited version was ever shown on any pre-cable era station.

[Le Chiffre]

Interesting article on MACBETH from The American Catholic. I didn't notice when I read the play many years ago that the St. Michael prayer Welles puts in the film for the Holy Father character to recite was not only not in Shakespeare's play, but was actually written in the 19th century!

Macbeth and Christ:
https://the-american-catholic.com/2019/ ... nd-christ/

Interestingly Welles adds a character, the Holy Man, a Catholic priest. At the beginning of the film he chases away the “three weird sisters”, waving the Celtic Cross he carries. After King Duncan arrives, the Priest leads the court, anachronistically, in the rendition of the Saint Michael Prayer...written by Pope Leo XIII some nine centuries after the events depicted in Macbeth:

"Saint Michael, the arch angel,
be our safeguard against the wiles and wickedness of the devil.
Do thou, oh prince of the heavenly host, by the divine power,
thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits, who wander through the world, seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen!
Thus thou renounce Satan? I renounce him.
And all his works? I renounce them.
And all his pomp? I renounce them.
Amen!"

The verbatim translation of the actual 19th century prayer is:
"Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle;
be a protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God command him, we implore the supplicants:
and thou, Prince of the heavenly host,
Satan and other evil spirits, who wander in the world to the destruction of souls,
by divine power cast him into hell.
Amen."

This probably deliberate anachronism would seem to add yet another touch to the already somewhat surreal quality of Welles's film.

[sherbert]

Any thoughts on whether the 2024 Kino Lorber Macbeth blu-ray is a significant upgrade from the Olive Signature blu-ray from 2016? I’m intrigued by the prospect of hearing the overture and exit music, but wondering if the new 4K scan is worth double dipping for.

[Wellesnet]

This Slant review describes Kino's 4K transfer as phenomenal:
https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/macbe ... on-welles/

The (108-minute version) comes in a fresh 4K restoration from Paramount Pictures that looks phenomenal, with a dramatic uptick in the depth and clarity of the image, revealing fine details like sweat-beaded brows and painted-on makeup. The omnipresent blacks of John L. Russell’s evocatively expressionist cinematography are profound and entirely uncrushed.

[Clooburg2]

We'll get to see those cardboard crowns in even higher quality! /j
seriously though, that's awesome it's getting a 4k