Which is the better Shakespeare adaptation?
ShakespeaRe-Told MacBeth
Kumonosu-jō/Throne of Blood (MacBeth)
Voting ended onMar 1, 2024
Set in a three Michelin star restaurant owned by celebrity chef Duncan Docherty, with Joe Macbeth as the sous chef and his wife Ella as the Maître d'. Joe and his fellow chef Billy Banquo are annoyed that Duncan takes the credit for Joe's work, and that Duncan's son Malcolm has, in their opinion, no real flair for the business. Then they encounter three supernatural binmen who predict that Macbeth will get ownership of the restaurant, as will Billy's children. Joe and Ella are inspired to kill Duncan, but the binmen subsequently warn that Macbeth should be wary of Peter Macduff, the head waiter.
Banquo's name is Billy Banquo, Macbeth's name is Joe Macbeth. Macbeth is played by James McAvoy WITH the Scottish accent. The witches are garbage men. A pig flies. It's like if The Bear was literally Macbeth and James McAvoy was there. It's genuinely so good I think it's still all on youtube. It's literally SO 2005, it's my babygirl. Let it be known this movie came out the same year as the first Narnia movie so James McAvoy was Mr Tumnus AND Macbeth in the same year which I think is delightful.
A retelling of MacBeth set in feudal Japan. Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place.
Overall this just translates the rising sense of the doom and drama of Macbeth so well! The film is also beautifully atmospheric. It really leans into using mist and darkness to set an eerie feeling tone. Shoutout to Washizu’s (Macbeth’s) absolutely wild death scene in this version.
Moody, atmospheric, visually beautiful film that captures the vibe of Macbeth better than any I've seen. The illusion of the trees moving is astonishing (especially if you're lucky enough to see this on a big screen) and Lady M's hand-washing scene is as creepy as you'll ever see. And Toshiro Mifune gives a splendid performance (and is extremely hot).
