Macbeth (1971 film)

Macbeth
American theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roman Polanski
Screenplay by	Roman Polanski Kenneth Tynan
Based on	The Tragedie of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Produced by	Andrew Braunsberg
Starring	Jon Finch Francesca Annis Martin Shaw
Cinematography	Gil Taylor
Edited by	Alastair McIntyre
Music by	The Third Ear Band
Production companies	Playboy Productions Caliban Films
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	20 December 1971 (1971-12-20) (United States) 2 February 1972 (1972-02-02) (United Kingdom)
Running time	140 minutes[1]
Countries	United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.4 million (or £1.2 million)[2]
Box office	less than $1 million[3]

Macbeth (also known as The Tragedy of Macbeth or Roman Polanski's Film of Macbeth) is a 1971 historical drama film directed by Roman Polanski, and co-written by Polanski and Kenneth Tynan. A film adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name, it tells the story of the Highland lord who becomes King of Scotland through treachery and murder. Jon Finch and Francesca Annis star as the title character and his wife, noted for their relative youth as actors. Themes of historic recurrence, greater pessimism and internal ugliness in physically beautiful characters are added to Shakespeare's story of moral decline, which is presented in a more realistic style.

Polanski opted to adapt Macbeth as a means of coping with the highly publicized Manson Family murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate. Finding difficulty obtaining sponsorship from major studios, Playboy Enterprises stepped in to provide funding. Following troubled shooting around the British Isles mired by poor weather, Macbeth screened out of competition at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival and was a commercial failure in the United States. Initially controversial for its graphic violence and nudity, the film has since garnered generally positive reviews, and was named Best Film by the National Board of Review in 1972.