SYNOPSIS
Reference: The synopsis was taken from this site, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth_(2006_film)
This version of Macbeth takes place in the Melbourne underworld. Macbeth played by is a loyal underboss to his crime boss Duncan, is told by teenage witches that he will one day gain great power. Driven by their prophecy, his wife plans to kill Duncan and take the leadership of the gang for herself and her husband. Macbeth's obsessive love for her leads him to agree to her plan, but he finds that maintaining his power will require a lot more from him than he first thought.
The film opens in a cemetery where the Weird Sisters, three school girl witches, are seen destroying headstones and statues, while close by Lady Macbeth cries beside a headstone which says "beloved son". Macbeth stands by. It is here that the three witches make their plan to meet with Macbeth later, and leave the cemetery, smiling at Macbeth from afar.
Macbeth leads Duncan's gang, in his absence, to do a drug deal with Macdonwald and his men. In a gunfight between the gangs, all members of Macdonwald's gang are killed. While chasing two gunmen, Banquo and Macbeth are led to the Cawdor Club. They seize the club. The current owner of the club is tied up and later killed.
Duncan officially hands the club over to Macbeth, and Macbeth and Banquo celebrate by drinking the club's alcohol and taking some pills found on a table. During this drug trip Macbeth meets the three witches, who prophesy that he will soon be in Duncan's position with total control over the gang. He tells his wife this, though she doubts he has it in him to take over Duncan's position. Later when she learns that Duncan will be dining and staying at their house, she plots with her husband to kill him, passing the rank of gang leader to Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth drugs Duncan's bodyguards, and while they sleep Macbeth takes their knives and kills Duncan, framing the guards. Macduff comes to Inverness and finds Duncan murdered in his bed. Before the bodyguards can profess their innocence Macbeth shoots them. Malcolm, Duncan's son, immediately suspects Macbeth as having something to do with his father's death and flees.
After Macbeth is hailed as the new leader by most of Duncan's gang Macbeth sends two murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. The murderers kill Banquo, but Fleance escapes. Macbeth holds a celebratory dinner, and after learning that Banquo has been killed, sees a vision of Banquo's ghost at the dining table. Macbeth is becoming more shaken by his desire for power. Lennox, Ross and others now suspect Macbeth of killing Duncan and Banquo.
Macbeth finds the three witches in his house that evening and, after drinking a foul potion and engaging in an orgiastic sexual encounter with them, asks the witches of his future. He is told to fear Macduff, but no man "of woman born shall kill you". Later it is revealed that Macduff is not a natural birth, but a caesarean section, which is not "of woman born". He is also shown a vision of Fleance being hailed as gang leader. These prophecies enrage Macbeth, as does the witches' quick disappearance, and he has the murderers go to Macduff's home and brutally kill Lady Macduff and her son.
Seeing this on the television, Lennox and Ross go to tell Macduff who has gone to his uncle Siward. Malcolm convinces him that Macbeth has gone much too far in his quest for power and must be stripped of his leader status.
Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth has become more insane, to the point where she re-imagines the evening of Duncan's killing and continuously tries to wash off his blood from her hands. A doctor sedates her, and Macbeth appears fairly indifferent to her instability. He prepares for the impending attack from Macduff, Lennox and Ross. Lady Macbeth commits suicide in a bath tub by slashing her wrists, enraging Macbeth. The two murderers, realising the unlikeliness of surviving the attack, swiftly flee Dunsinane leaving Macbeth with only Seyton, his main bodyguard, and two others. The murderers run into Macduff and his associates at the edge of Burnham Wood and are shot. Fleance looks on.
Malcolm leads his men to Dunsinane where they ambush the house and a large gunfight ensues between them and Macbeth and his guards. Macbeth is chased to the cellar where he faces off with Macduff and is stabbed in the stomach. He stumbles upstairs to his bedroom, where the body of Lady Macbeth lies, and dies at her side. As Macduff leads Fleance, now the inherited gang leader, from the house Macbeth's famous "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech is heard.
How It Was Modernised
In this version of Macbeth, It is modernised in a rider gang story. It kept the original text and refers to the gangland wars in Australia.
It was modernised by changing some of the characters into modern day characters. Also some aspects of the play in the classical versions have changed. This version mainly goes to young adults because generally, young adults are always been less interested in Shakespeare, but are always interested in action films which involves shootings, gangs, etc. As a result, Geoffrey Wright thought if he can keep the themes and the script but change the settings, then it would appeal to young adults.
These are other ways it was modernised to make it look modern day:
- King means gang leader
- "Riding" means riding a dirt bike, not a horse.
- Dunsinane is not castle but the name of Macbeth's house and property.
- The Weird Sisters are young girls, not bearded hags.
- Birnam Wood goes to Dunsinane by way of a log truck marked "Birnam Timber".
- Lady Macbeth's grief and the guilt of the death of Macduff's son, the death of her only son, cocaine addiction and the fact that they killed King Duncan. Spiritualism is not as big an influence as in the play.
- The dagger Macbeth sees is not a hallucination, but a picture he sees on the wall which is the image of a dagger, created by sword grass.
- Donalbain was taken from the story which means that Duncan has only one son.
- The images created by the witches were replaced with tattoos on the witches' skin.
In the modernised version, spiritualism was taken out because in this present day, it is not used in the context of Shakespeare as much as before. The social influence that the play has is that of peer pressure. I think that the fact of the three weird sisters giving him the prophesy of him being king sort of pressures him to do anything to get to that high status.
Because Macbeth was set in the Elizabethan era, the costume and set is very different from present day. In those days when Macbeth was played, there was not a certainty that it would be staged in one placed. Because of the open nature of the stage , scenery was minimal or doesn't exist which means there was nothing to stop the action being inside a building one moment and outside the next.
Props that were needed in the text would have been sourced but actors often have more than one characters and may also have selected additional minute props to portray the personality of a specific character they play. In those days, young Elizabethan actors used white paint on their faces. A lot of these young actors caught unpleasant facial skin diseases and even death from lead poisoning because these white paint were lead based and highly dangerous.
Macbeth Investigating costume and design in the original performance conditions
compared with the live production directed by Daniel Evans Set and use of stage properties (props) Lighting Sound Makeup Costume Because of the open nature of the stage, scenery was minimal or non-existent; there was nothing to stop the action being inside a building one moment and outside the next. Props that are required in the text would have been sourced but players often multi-roled and may have also selected additional small props to signify the personality of a specific character. The white make-up used by young male Elizabethan actors was lead based and highly poisonous. The young boy actors were therefore very unhealthy, had unpleasant facial skin diseases and a high proportion actually died of lead poisoning.
2.
My second modernised Shakespeare play is Romeo and Juliet. This was modernised and produced in 2006. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the leading roles. It updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still keeping the original text.
In this version, the Montagues and Capulets are changed to warring business empire and swords are replaced by guns (with brand names such as "Dagger" and "Sword"). .)
My second modernised Shakespeare play is Romeo and Juliet with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Plot
Reference: Plot is taken from this site; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_%2B_Juliet
In the fictional modern-day location "Verona Beach", the Capulets and the Montagues are arch-rivals. he animosity of the older generation — Fulgencio and Gloria Capulet and Ted and Caroline Montague — is felt by their younger relatives. A gunfight between the Montague boys led by Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, and the Capulet boys led by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, creates chaos in the city. The Chief of Police, Captain Prince, reprimands the families, warning them that if such behavior continues, their lives "shall pay the forfeit of the peace".
Benvolio meets with Romeo on a beach. Whilst playing a game of pool they learn of a party being held by the Capulets that evening which they decide to gate-crash (Romeo agreeing to come after discovering that his 'crush' Rosaline is attending).
The Montague boys meet their friend, Mercutio, who has tickets to the Capulet party. Romeo takes the Ecstasy pill Mercutio gave him and they proceed to the Capulet mansion. The effects of the drug and the party overwhelm Romeo, who goes to the rest-room. While admiring an aquarium, he and Juliet see each other. Tybalt spots Romeo and vows to kill him for invading his family's home, but Fulgencio stops him.
Romeo and Juliet sneak into an elevator and kiss. The nurse spots them when the doors open and drags Juliet away, while revealing to her that Romeo is a Montague. At the same time, Romeo realizes that Juliet is a Capulet. Mercutio takes Romeo from the party, but he sneaks back to the mansion, hiding under Juliet’s balcony. Juliet emerges into the yard and proclaims her love for him before Romeo sneaks up behind her. Juliet is horrified that he has risked death, but Romeo tells her he does not care whether he is caught. Knowing her nurse is looking for her, Juliet tells him that, if he sends word by the following day, they will be betrothed. Romeo visits Father Lawrence, telling him he wants to marry Juliet. He agrees to marry the pair in hopes that their marriage will help ease the tensions between the families. Romeo passes the word on to Juliet’s nurse and the lovers are married.
Tybalt encounters Mercutio just as Romeo arrives. Romeo attempts to make peace, but Tybalt assaults him. Mercutio intervenes and batters Tybalt, and is about to finish him off by hitting him with a log when Romeo stops him. Tybalt slashes Mercutio with a shard of glass. Mercutio, in denial, laughs it off as a mere "scratch", but soon realizes that the cut is deeper than he thought. Angered over his pending death, Mercutio curses the warring houses. He storms off in anger only to die in Romeo's arms a few moments later. Angry that Mercutio, neither a Capulet nor Montague, has been murdered, Romeo chases after a fleeing Tybalt and guns him down.
Captain Prince banishes Romeo from the city. Romeo, hiding with Father Lawrence, claims he would rather die than be banished. Father Lawrence, in turn, sternly lectures Romeo about the fact that the end result of his actions could have been his death as opposed to banishment. Father Lawrence treats Romeo's injuries and says that, after some time passes, he will help Romeo and Juliet return to the city and reconcile with their family and friends. The nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is waiting for him. At the Capulet mansion, Juliet prays, horrified by what has happened. When Romeo climbs over her balcony, she kisses him and they consummate their marriage. Fulgencio decides Juliet will marry Paris, the Governor's son.
The next morning, Romeo narrowly escapes as Juliet's mother tells her that the family has promised she will marry Paris. She refuses to marry, so her father threatens to throw her out. Her mother and nurse insist it would be in her best interest to marry Paris. Juliet sees Father Lawrence, imploring him to help her and threatening to commit suicide. The priest proposes she fake death and be put in the Capulet vault to awaken 24 hours later. Romeo will be told of the plot, sneak into the vault, and once reunited the two can travel to Mantua. He gives her the potion which mimics death. After saying goodnight to her mother, Juliet drinks the potion. She is found in the morning, declared dead, and placed in the vault. Balthasar, one of Romeo's men, learns that Juliet is dead and tells Romeo, who is not home when the messenger arrives to tell him of the plan.
Romeo returns to Verona, where he buys poison. Father Lawrence learns that Romeo has no idea Juliet is alive. Romeo enters the church where Juliet lies. She awakens as Romeo takes the poison. The two thus see each other before he dies. Juliet picks up Romeo's gun and shoots herself in the head, dying instantly. The two lovers are discovered in each other's arms. Prince condemns both families, whose feuding led to such tragedy, and coroners are shown removing the two bodies.
How it Was Modernised
Romeo + Juilet's set was changed to a Los Angeles-like city. The rich families in the film travel around in sport cars and not horses. In the classical version, weapons that are used are daggers and swords. In the modernised film, this is changed to guns, but are branded as "sword" and "dagger" which is what they are called in the script. The Prince of Verona that was in the original script is changed to a police captain and goes around in his own helicopter and sharpshooters.
Another one of my favourite aspects is the outfits they wear. In the film, I like the fact that Juliet dresses as an angel and Romeo dresses as a knight and they meet each other by a fish tank. There is also a big difference between the age difference between the classical version and the film. The age difference is much less than the classical version because of the modern setting, but all the major scenes have novel approaches such as the LSD type drug having a slang term called Queen Mab and the balcony being over a swimming pool.
In the classic version, aggression is a main theme. In the modernised version, It gets the aggression of the text though the use of pathetic fallacy, especially with the death of Mercutio.
Also, some of the names were also changed. Lord and Lady Montague and Lord and Lady Capulet were given first names (as opposed to the Shakespeare original where their first names are never mentioned), Friar Lawrence became Father Lawrence, and Prince Escalus was renamed Captain Prince. There was also no Friar John, who was in the original play. Also, some characters were switched from one family to the other. In the original, Gregory and Sampson are Capulet, but in the film, they are Montagues. (Abra and Petruchio, conversely, are shifted from the Montague to the Capulet family.
3. My third modernised Shakespeare play is As You Like It (2006 film). This was directed by Kenneth Branagh. It stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Rosalind, David Oleyowo as Orlando De Boys, Romola Garai as Celia, Adrian Lester as Olivier de Boys, Alfred Molina as Touchstone, Kevin Kline as Jacques, Janet Mcteer as Audrey and Brian Blessed as Duke Fredrick and his brother Duke Senior.
The play's setting is relocated from medieval France to a European colony in late 19th century Japan after the Meiji Restoration. It was shot at Shepperton Film Studios and on location at the never-before-filmed gardens of Wakehurst Place. The film is a production of The Shakespeare Film Company, financed by HBO Films. It is Kenneth Branagh's first Shakespearean film shot in a Super 35 format.
How it was Modernised?
Branagh imagined the events of the play taking place in Japan during the late nineteenth century, when a lot of British traders made their homes in Japan, and thats why the lead roles are played by English Actors. Duke Senior court is seen as British outpost whose ruler loves the Japanese culture. Even though most of the English characters wear European costumes, Duke senior and his brother both wear Japanese outfits. The British ladies covered their faces with fans and wear their hairstyles in reminiscent of traditional Japanese hairstyles. When the banished characters travel to the Forest of Arden, its inhabitants are played by a mixture of Japanese and Western actors (Phoebe and William are Japanese, Silvius is played as a Westerner who wears Japanese style clothes, and Corin and Audrey are Westerners). The de Boys brothers Orlando and Oliver are played by Black British actors.
Although the film was not actually made there, Branagh re-imagined the events as taking place in Japan during the late nineteenth century, when many English traders made their homes there – hence the presence of many British actors in lead roles. Duke Senior's court is imagined as a British outpost whose ruler admires Japanese culture; although most of the inhabitants wear European clothes, Duke Senior and his brother both wear Japanese clothes. The British ladies of the outpost modestly use fans to cover their faces and wear their hair in styles reminiscent of traditional Japanese hairstyles. Some critics praised the setting, others found it unnecessary and irrelevant, since the majority of the characters are not Japanese.
Despite the change of setting, the language remains that of Shakespeare's play, the names of the characters are the same, and the original plot is followed closely. Some critics praised the setting, others found it unnecessary and irrelevant, since the majority of the characters are not Japanese. Branagh included what Shakespeare omitted from the play. The event when Duke Frederick upsups his brother's kingdom. He included a new prologue, in which ninja warriors stage an attack on Duke Senior and his family as they watch a performance of Kabuki theatre.
Most critics think that it was pointless resetting the place to Japan when most of the characters were British.
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