Macbeth (1948) on Netflix
After a victory in battle, Macbeth and Banquo encounter three witches, who greet Macbeth as Scotland's future king. Lady Macbeth pushes her husband toward murder to claim the crown.
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- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb7.4/108,575 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes86%
Trailer
Plot summary
In the Middle Ages, the Three Witches meet Macbeth and Banquo, hailing Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor and as the future king of Scotland. The witches mold a clay figure of Macbeth, a charm tied to his fortunes. King Duncan's men arrive and award Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor for his victory in battle. Macbeth writes to his wife about the prophecy, and she wonders whether he has it in him to murder Duncan. Duncan praises Macbeth and announces he will stay the night at Macbeth's castle. During the night Macbeth voices his unease about killing the king, and Lady Macbeth overrides his objections, challenging his manhood.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Macbeth (1948)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Welles's first choice for Lady Macbeth was Vivien Leigh, whom he never approached because he thought her husband Laurence Olivier would disapprove; Tallulah Bankhead turned the role down, and Anne Baxter, Mercedes McCambridge and Agnes Moorehead were all unavailable.
- Welles said the film's most effective crowd scene, Macduff's army charging the castle, got its vivid urgency because the noon break had just been called and the extras were rushing off to lunch.
- Welles said his Macbeth costume made him look like the Statue of Liberty, but there was no money for another and nothing in stock at Western Costume would fit him, so he was stuck with it.
- After Macbeth's original release, Republic made Welles cut two reels and re-record much of the soundtrack with the actors in their natural voices instead of the Scottish accents he had wanted; the 1950 version still drew unsupportive reviews.
- Welles promised Republic a completed negative of Macbeth for $700,000 and, when some board members balked, signed a contract agreeing to personally pay any amount the film went over that budget.
