Macbeth (1948)
Scores of Orson Welles biographies have
been published, dutifully documenting the difficulties his directorial career endured
following his stratospheric debut. Studio interference marred efforts from his
sophomore outing onwards, and financing problems often prevented him from
satisfactorily rendering his visions – or sabotaged them before he had even
begun. Welles had famously staged a “voodoo” version of Macbeth for the Mercury Theatre and here he returned to the play
for his first feature adaptation of Shakespeare. The finished film is a curiosity rather than
a daring success. The highly stylised presentation is never less than
interesting, but the speedy production lends it a ramshackle quality further
emphasised by some variable performances (the approximation of Scottish accents
is atrocious at best).
