Why Macbeth Has The Best Fight Scene in Cinema History.
2024 ж. 20 Мам.
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Roman Polanski's MacBeth (1971) is an incredible take on Sharspeares most famous play and I think it has one of the greatest fight scenes ever commited to film. Let me try to explain why, and a little bit about the amazing man who helped created this fight and many more.
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00:00 - Grim and Pessimistic: Polanski's MacBeth
02:14 - Visualising Birnam Wood
03:02 - Believability of Armour
05:46 - The Exhuastion of a Fight
06:44 - Storytelling Through Costume
08:18 - The End of MacBeth
09:19 - Fights in Modern Media
10:27 - The Man Behind The Fight
11:17 - Outro
the actor who plays Macbeth...Jon Finch...he once said he did acting to finance the things he really liked to do, he was an outdoor type, mountaineering and parachuting, he did his national service in The Parachute Regiment and stayed on as a member of the SAS Reserve Regiment , training at the weekends and in the evenings, he was courted by Bond producers as a possible James Bond, but he wasn't interested in the stardom that would have brought him, he just wanted to quietly do theatre and film work...and earn enough to get by.
He turned down the Professionals too, amazing actor
He was cast as Kane in "Alien", and started filming it, but came down with an acute diabetic attack on the first day of filming. John Hurt was brought in at very short notice to replace him in the role.
That's a really cool tidbit of information. Thanks for sharing.
He's amazing as Macbeth and Jerry Cornelius! I even love his ten second cameo in kingdom of heaven!
@@chrisM-vu1xc Yes I read he had been found in his flat, very sad , 70 years old is relatively young to pass away, I wonder if his diabetes was the cause.
It's my biggest pet peeve watching fighters effortlessly cut through full plate armor like it's not even there in movies. Nice to see not only the armor work, but the actors actually using it as an asset in the fight. You don't see that often.
Instead, they effortessly pierced through two layers of mail armour and padding (and rib cage in between) as if it's not there.
In terms of videogames. I enjoy the vr game blade and sorcery with some mods that bring full plate into the mix. The npcs throw meat cleaver attacks with little skill. however putting PLATE armor on them with full simulation still makes them scary af. You have to get creatitve. and..really really brutal. it will wake things in you, that you had no idea where there. Like smashing the dudes head against a wall over and over. or picking up a chair and smashing it over his head and useing the peices to get under the armor. Point is plate is scary af
@@Aru233 apparently you can never please everyone
@@Aru233 piercing is a weakness of those armour types, that's why plate became a thing
@@kuunt6065 It's not a "weakness", it's just that they protect more from cutting than from stabbing, but it still protects from stabbing significantly and it's near impossible tu pierce through mail like that with a sword. Twice. Plus body. It would be only be somewhat easy with a lance from horseback with the force of a charge. And it doesn't protect at all from bludgeoning, which is why plate became a thing.
In a backyard boxing party, I remember being so tired that my punches could be comically slow. That part where MacBeth swings his sword and hits the wall over MacDuff well after he ducks seems quite realistic to me.
"backyard boxing party" sounds unbelievably fun
"Underrated fight scene", guy ducks and about five minutes later the dude swings two miles above his head with a dull sword against a wall. Bruh.
I thought that was hokey as hell but when you mention it because he's so worn out by the time he moves to attack, it's well after the other guy dodged. The brain thought of the move, the body took longer to process and execute.
@@BoopSnoot that is about the extent of it... your perspective perfectly expressed in a comment
@@BoopSnoot Having done historical combat, I was surprised how often things like that actually happen. Oftentimes an exhausted telegraphs a strike, then takes an extra moment to gather up the energy to commit. The end result is exactly what you see in the film. Granted, I'm pretty sure it was an editing issue in a fifty year old film, but not unrealistic.
I taught Macbeth for 30 years and always showed this film...students always loved this fight scene. Your analysis of the scene is masterful.
We were shown the film after English literature class and I saw the play it at Stratford upon Avon.
I think one of the enduring things of Macbeth is the struggle of a man who is in denial of his own mortality, and this fight scene displays that perfectly, humans don’t want to die, we do so much to protect ourselves and struggle but it’s really really rare movies depict that struggle faithfully because 1: choreography is hard, and 2: easy kills makes more spectacle. The contrast in this scene compared to most fight scenes is so human in its struggle and desperation.
I think it's more that he is in denial he has done any real wrong
@@reidparker1848 that is one small part of the bigger picture, yes.
I really don't think it's about a man in denial of his own mortality. I really don't think he's in denial he has done anything wrong, either. Just remember how Macbeth reacts to his wife's death : his tirade is possibly literature's strongest case for the futility of life and the unstoppable passing of time. He says life is a struggle that is inevitably going to end (the poor player strutting and fretting his hour upon the stage, until he is heard no more) and it has no meaning (a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing). He might - like so many - want to live as long as possible, but he clearly knows his time is finite. He may not like it, but he's not fooling himself. As for denial that he did anything wrong, that's not the case : though I admit I can't really remember where it happens, in the book, he does comment that it would take him just as much effort to keep going down his dark path that it would turning back. He knows he's not an angel, but he also knows that, even though his methods were criminal, it was his right to be elected king (he was a brave and noble warrior who led his people to victory, by fighting more fiercely and with far more spirit than his peers - while the king's son was just that : some guy who thought he could be king, just because his daddy was king, instead of having any merit). Also, his wife clearly tells him 'my hands are of your colour, though I shame to wear a heart so white', so he'll never forget he's a murderer. He doesn't see himself as spotless. I think it's a lot more about a man fighting to keep in control of his own destiny. In fact, when he temporarily decides to give up, during the last fight, it's not cowardice : it's him being sick and tired of destiny constantly screwing him over, with cruel prophecies that always have unforeseen caveats. It's not him surrendering to his opponent. It's him saying 'F YOU, DESTINY ! F YOU, WEIRD SISTERS ! F YOU, TREACHEROUS PROPHECIES ! I WANT TO MAKE MY OWN CHOICES, FOR ONCE !'. Of course, since he is a fighter, he quickly resumes the fight, even though he knows the chances of him dying are astronomical.
@@jackwilliam4436 Such is the end result of a naturalist's view of life.
@@jackwilliam4436 brilliantly explained
Also, Michael York and Christopher Lee's battle at the end of "The Four Musketeers" is another example of a well-choreographed sword duel.
So underrated. Those first two Richard Lester Musketeers movies are, for my money, the best musketeer adaptations. While a few of the fight scenes are a bit goofy, both the one you mentioned and any sword fight featuring Oliver Reed’s Athos are so vicious, while not exactly realistic or authentic to 17th century fencing, they feel like *fights*.
@@charlietaylor3152 I enjoyed those movies and the fights in them. I saw last night an interview with Sir Christopher. He said they were using real swords and wearing era-appropriate customs (heavy) during Spanish heat in the upper 90s. These fights were very tiring and many accidental wounds happened during the filming. He said battling Oliver Reed was the most taxing.
I completely agree with this one. Especially when you compare fights in the 70's adaptations with any other adaptation, I think, that the fights are most realistic. How they use coats, fists, and the environment in the fights, how they get tired, it feels so real! Also, Raquel Welch was incredibly beautiful. ;-)
Also want to shoutout Ridley Scott's "The Duelists" during this era.
Same fight director as MacBeth.
We watched this in English class after reading the play in 12th grade. Our teacher told us it was the first film Polanski did after Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson gang and is probably why it's so dark. I know something about armored combat and you're spot on, and there's history to prove it. There's an account I read once of Bertrand du Guesclin, one of the most celebrated knights ever, who got in a duel with an English knight and the English knight's friends had to beg Bertrand to stop after he straddled him, forced open his visor, and punched him repeatedly in the face with his gauntlets.
The sfx crew suggested they were overdoing it with the blood and Polanski replied you should have seen my place last August.
Pity they didn't get Polanski instead of Tate.
Because, yeah, Macbeth should be sunshine and flowers.
@tbird81 probably what turned him into such a miserable human. Had it not happened who knows? Irpnic how the art reflects the artist. He in a sense became just as vile as Macbeth
Watched this in English in the 11th and all I remember was how brutal it was
The fight scene is dated in many ways, but I have to say that final impalement...I'm utterly blown away. All the fight scenes in all the movies I've seen, but never have I witnessed a fatal blow that made so much sense and looks shockingly vicious for the age of this film! The actors reactions are excellent, both Macbeth and MacDuff seem shocked, and the tragic, almost pathetic way Macbeth tries reaching to remove the sword at that odd angle in which he's impaled...it's so human. Thank you for sharing this!
I hear he really died.
Honestly, I had doubts when reading the title but your ability to dissect and convey your argument has won me over. Excellent work as usual. 👍
Haha thank you Richard, really appreciate that!
@@filmthings4645 I hate how this version, and others, take the artistic liberty to portray Macbeth as having mercy on Macduff in the final battle, while Macduff refuses to accept Macbeth's mercy. In the play, Macbeth expresses reluctance to fight Macduff before the fight begins, claiming superficially that he feels guilty. The truth is that Macbeth does not want to fight Macduff because of the witches' first apparition, his cowardice and superstition, in other words. The artistic liberty taken by Polanski and other filmmakers, out of thin air, gives Macbeth favorable sympathy where there shouldn't be any. It seems like this liberty is taken to try to make the play the stereotypical fallen hero with a tragic flaw, while in truth, Macbeth is not that.
@filmthings4645 :: Yes ! Your breakdown was really insightful. ( I saw the film and I thought you would not show the decapitation because of "Community Guidelines". )
same
Agreed- and it’s good to see someone who could argue the point well
The fact that the armour works makes this one of the greatest fight scenes ever. Still full of fluff but....the added little details are amazing. It brings it just a bit closer to an authentic duel. THey start full of energy with weapons at the ready and it ends in a tussle of desperation. Just like reality.
The fact that their armor catches on each other. A small but realistic touch. I can picture that happening on ancient battlefields,
But the armor design is terrible. What century is this supposed to be? If it's from any time before the 14th century, they should be wearing mail. If it's the 14th, it should be plate and mail. During the 15th, it should be full plate. These guys are wearing plate armor most akin to the 15th century, but then the shoulders and arms are left unarmored. Their helmets are not accurate to any period. Overall, it's an OK try.
@@stsk1061 it's much better than an okay try. You are just a pedant wanting internet points.
@@Michael-bn1oi You can find better fights made by two dudes on KZhead.
@@ProSeElBey ringmail akin to the 9th/10th century, takes damn ages to craft the links, plate is by far more cost effective for film making at that era
I would like to hear your thoughts on John Boorman’s Excalibur. You talk about realistic and humanizing moments that utilize actual armour, that is not just for eye candy. Excalibur’s sword fights are often awkward, because they are in full plate armour. They show exhaustion and when you watch them fight on, you feel the weight of the weapons and armour. It’s a film i always held in high regard.
Agreed. Even though the tech level is all to goose - these are supposed to be 8th or 9th century warriors yet are fighting in gleaming plate mail in mediaeval castles, but the whole thing is highly stylized, so nobody really cares that much.
@@KaitainCPS of course the armour and catles are anachronistic, as indeed are the society and mores. Like Macbeth, Excalibur does not set out to depict the dark ages, but a late Mediaeval or Renaissance fantasy of the dark ages.
It shocks me, honestly, that there are so few fight scenes like this in cinema.
I recommend "THE DUELISTS", Ridley Scott's 1st film, which has some of the most realistic sword fights. It's also remarkable how experimental Scott's filming was at that time (furthermore considering "Alien" and "Blade Runner" were his 2nd and 3rd films).
Excellent film.
I love that movie! 'The Duelists' was also mentioned in this video, if you didn't catch that. Choreographed by the same man who did Macbeth here.
@@yanioz1412 Hahaha i missed that. Thanks for clearing that out. It all makes sense now.
The deluge is good too
Watch the deluge. only on polish on youtube. still great. don't know any polish but you always know whats going on and the fighting is great.
The final duel between Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone in "The Mark of Zorro" (1940). The sudden realization by Captain Esteban (Rathbone) that Don Diego (Power) is not a fop, but a real danger, is one of the great FAFO moments in film.
“Basil Rathbone, being a well-known fencer in his own right, was asked how well Tyrone Power did in their scenes in which stunt doubles were not used. Rathbone responded, ‘Tyrone Power could fence Errol Flynn into a cocked hat!’”
As Rathbone was an Olympic fencer, he knew what he was doing.
"By The Sword," by Richard Cohen, is a history of fencing and has a section about Hollywood swordplay. it's a good read.
tysm for the rec! @@Rickinsf
Basil Rathbone was the best swordsman ever to grace the silver screen.
The 2015 Michael Fassbender adaptation is also fantastic, but takes a number of creative liberties. For example, the woods are burned to create a smoke screen for the approaching army rather than branches being cut off to confuse their numbers. It's a version that emphasizes the truly surreal, insanity-spiralling aspects of the original work. Great acting, and a fantastic surreal original score.
Why does this channel only have 1 video!!?? I'd happily binge many videos by this same person.
We studied Macbeth when I was in high school in 10th grade. Our whole class went into town to a movie theater to see the Roman Polanski version. I was 15. It's still my favorite Shakespeare play of all time.
“ What a sigh goes there”’
The Rob Roy final fight is the best film sword fight I have ever seen. So gritty and believable, not just some choreographed dance number like most other films.
It was by the same coordinator on this film.
@@sha11235 that's fucking cool!!!
I was going to write the same thing, that the end fight in Rob Roy has to be one of the best choreographed and realistic sword fight scenes I've ever encountered in film, and I studied stage combat so I know what to look for in terms of how it's done. The one detail that makes it superior is Liam Neeson's fatigue constantly swinging his heavier claymore to knock Tim Roth's rapier away from his face, only to have it immediately, effortlessly and menacingly put right back pointed as his face because it's a much lighter but just as deadly weapon. In short, don't bring a broadsword to a rapier fight is excellently shown emphasizing that the older sword style is a thing of the past when men wore armor, but the new style shirks armor for flexibility and dexterous movement and potentially quicker kills, not to mention the obvious skill difference needed to wield an elegant weapon vs. a weapon that only requires brute force and very little skill. The ending though exposes the one flaw of a rapier, which is if grabbing the pointy end of your opponent's weapon is a legal move, a giant sharpened knife is going to discourage that idea real quick because you'll be losing a few fingers, but a slim blade meant mostly for piercing will only deliver a manageable cut.
Rob Roy had a nice fight. Still think the 1974 "The Deluge" sabre duel is the best
@@Foksipanter " *1974 "The Deluge" sabre duel is the best* " I think it really is. It's hard to comprehend the dynamics without knowing the context, but the shear skill always shines through. There is only one thing they got wrong, well maybe two. One - they didn't know back then how disarms worked. two - they didn't know why and especially how you'd switch your saber from right to left hand. Which is a pity, because it looks really cool.
Wow, you ain't kidding! If you were in any combat sports, MMA, wrestling etc. or were ever a soldier in combat you can testify that this scene is a legit portrayal! Thanks for turning us on to it. Excellent breakdown!!
HEMA (fencing) nerd here, the choreography is questionable but the vibes are quality
I saw this film on a high school field trip to the theatre in 1973. This fight scene just blew me away. I've never forgotten it.
This is the greatest version and very true to Shakespeare rather than a loose adaptation as some are (lines are cut in many Shakespeare plays adapted to film, which is sad if you want to hear the lines). The elocution of the lines is so precise and perfect. I also like that extremely talented actors are utilized and the focus is not on "celebrities" playing lead roles but in a true rendering of the play by extremely talented actors. Also, the insidious aspect of the Weird Sisters is also compelling a portrait in this film.
The Fassbender version is excellent.
The Kurosawa version (Throne of Blood) isn’t half bad either, though it’s a bit looser than Polanski’s.
I saw this film back in the 70's, and it's really stuck in my mind thanks to its grim atmosphere and the overall treatment of the Bard's great play. It's become the definite Macbeth movie to me. Polanski at his best is among the greatest directors.
despite being a paedophile
An overlooked gem. Barring in mind that his wife was murdered only two years earlier, the sheer brutality of the film was astonishing even 52 years after its' initial release.
He was also a rapist
I love how not all the strikes land; some hit walls, some hit the ground, some swing wildly away. It makes the characters feel more human.
The King on Netflix has two of the best fight scenes I've ever seen. The fight between Harold and Percy in the beginning of the movie, and then battle between the French and English at the end between the foot soldiers in the mud and the sheer claustrophobia of the suits of armor being crushed against all the other soldiers, both friend and foe.
I saw this version in high school. I was also struck by how unusual this sword fight was. If you look at some of the sword battle scenes of more fantastic movies, it is very dissatisfying to see the hero taking down one armored opponent after another with a single swipe of his sword. That sword, striking against plate or mail, would really be expected to deal out nothing more than blunt force trauma. And yet it is often shown slicing against armored soldiers, who then go down with hardly a twitch. When I saw the fight scene described in this video, I was impressed at how awkward and exhausted the two men quickly became. They both lost their main weapons and had to resort to kicking and tripping each other, with them also taking whatever opportunities they could to rest and catch their breath. As described, they absorb the blows of swords against their armor with little cost or effect, as one might expect. There is also never any actual penetration of the metal. Even the final cut involves a sword snaking its way through a gap, which makes a lot of sense. In the technological arms race of swords and armor, so it's became larger and heavier in order to overcome the strength of the armor, but eventually we're supplanted by thinner and more flexible swords that would be able to find the smallest gap and snake their way through into the body beneath.
It’s not that realistic. Watch HEMA or armored mma
Hammers, flails and maces were more common weapons of choice against plate mail.
@@KaitainCPS Most people at least learn flails weren't used (commonly) before becoming a youtube reply guy
I’d be careful about looking for any one trend in swords, there were many and were used for many different purposes. estocs were long, unbladed points which could jab into armored targets (apparently they could pierce armor but I’ve yet to source that) or act like a mini-lance on horseback. rapiers ‘n such were mainly civilian weapons to be used against unarmored targets. there’s also the zweihander which was used in the pike & shot era ‘cuz it could both knock pikes aside and bludgeon nerds through their armor. in fact it’s so effective, modern practice versions have to be made of synthetic rubber so they don’t clobber your sparring partner 😅. some swords also leaned towards thrusts simply ‘cuz even against unarmored targets thrust were more fatal than cuts.
One of my favourite films. Easily the best version of 'Macbeth', at least of the dozen or so film and stage versions I have personally seen. I'll never be able to give my Year 9 English teacher back in 1992 enough credit for screening this in class for us. It's stuck with me my whole life. I now own 5 different copies of it in paperback, and it is still the only Shakespeare play I've spent considerable time with. (I've watched Gibson's Hamlet a couple of times but that's it) Such a brilliant piece of film making. Memorable scene after memorable scene. Every performance is stellar. Thinking about it now, it might actually be my very favourite film. Fantastic breakdown, man. Thank you. ❤
I hate how this version, and others, take the artistic liberty to portray Macbeth as having mercy on Macduff in the final battle, while Macduff refuses to accept Macbeth's mercy. In the play, Macbeth expresses reluctance to fight Macduff before the fight begins, claiming superficially that he feels guilty. The truth is that Macbeth does not want to fight Macduff because of the witches' first apparition, his cowardice and superstition, in other words. The artistic liberty taken by Polanski and other filmmakers, out of thin air, gives Macbeth favorable sympathy where there shouldn't be any. It seems like this liberty is taken to try to make the play the stereotypical fallen hero with a tragic flaw, while in truth, Macbeth is not that.
The best film version I have seen, to date. Our old English Literature teacher sent my class to see this at our local Maidstone Granada cinema back in '72. I wasn't an 'A' student, nor was I familiar with any of the works of Shakespeare but this film held me spellbound and I've retained (some) fond memories of that early evening viewing to this day. It's a shame that the actor playing Macbeth didn't go on to fulfill his potential.
One wonders how the recent slaughter of his wife and unborn child affected him when he was making this film. It is also intereresting that the film was financed by Playboy, which is why Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene had to be in the nude!
@@kellydg471 I think that he spoke on exactly what you suggest. That some of the violence, and viciousness of the film was a kind of release for him. Cant for the life of me recall where I read or heard about it, but unless I dreamt it,(always possible I guess🤣) you're correct to ponder.
Have you watched Brannagh's (?) Henry V? Another very intense and moving adaptation
4:46 "Suits of armour are just that, they're armoured (...)" I learn something every day....
Kurosawa's interpretation of Macbeth with Throne of Blood is still fantastic, I'm sad i haven't heard of this version before, will defiantly watch it now
This has been my favorite film since I saw it as a 14 year old in 1976. The fight discussed here is so realistic. The pausing, the heavy breathing etc displays the physical taxation such a conflict would induce in the participants. This movie is a masterpiece and the Criterion Blu ray is wonderful with plenty of extras.
The best depiction of how exhausting a sword fight could be is in Richard Lester's "Robin and Marion."
Or, 'The Duellists.'
Fighting is exhausting.
Part of the point of the movie is aging--what was once easy is now difficult. It’s not for nothing they used a middle aged Sean Connery.
Great video man. Really looking forward to what's to come from this channel
I've been thinking about this film over the last few months and not got round to rewatching, i remember it leaving such an impression on me when I saw it in my youth - I'll be rewatching it now for sure, thanks for the great video
"Avengement" - a British gangster movie that revolves around a kickboxer getting his revenge. The action scenes are beautifully portrayed and choreographed, the story and choreography makes everything believable, and the editing and music is very immersive. Nice vid.
Good heavens, this is wonderful. It's so rare to see armor actually beheaving and being used like armor in movies. For me, here it makes all considerations about the accuracy of the armor styles totally secondary. Amazing.
This has always been one of my favorite Shakespeare movies. I agree with your entire analysis (including Rob Roy). I also love the Duelists, ... so thanks for connecting the dots with Mr. Hobbs as the connective tissue. Well done.
I wrote my masters on the music in this and other Macbeth film adaptions. Your comment here on it was spot on. The Kurosawa version is fantastic, too.
Wow, you must have a load of technical information on this then! I saw your channel, and subbed and maybe this could be a good video idea? Idk, even if it isnt that is so cool.
I’ve never even heard of this adaptation before, but you’ve convinced me. Your editing, script, and narration were all compelling, informative and succinct-achieving any two of those is not too difficult, but all three is very impressive. Great video! I’d also never heard of William Hobbs, which I’m glad you’ve rectified. When you said he was responsible for some of the greatest fight scenes, my mind immediately went to Rob Roy, and I was so pleased to be proved correct. 😁 It’s also extremely satisfying to hear someone give that film its proper praise.
Just the opening music and first minute of this video made me go and rent the movie. It was really great and I agree that its the best medieval fight scene on screen so far. Great video, man.
Thanks for the presentation. I was always stunned by the "verisimilitude" in the fight scene.
While the The Duellists and The Deluge have the most realistic depictions of swordfights in any movie, there's something unique in Macbeth, and to a lesser degree, the Romeo and Juliet movie from 1968 has it too: Mercutio and Tybalt is a masterclass of how to build tension, and how quickly things can get out of hand. But even today, the best confrontation and portray of violence ever caught on camera was Dan Dority vs Captain Turner in Deadwood. Watch it and you'll understand.
Omg that Deadwood fight...
Have you watched the Polish Potop (the Deluge) and its saber duel in the rain scene? One of the less known yet amazingly choreographed and realistic duels in cinema
That is an amazing movie. A true epic film.
I love the Polish trilogy, beautiful films
jepp...also scripted, but atleast looks semi realistic, compared to this piece of shit.
Hobbs actually plays Young Seward himself in this movie. For another excellent, and little-known fight scene, look at the final fight in "The Scarlett Pimpernel and the King" (1999) between Richard E Grant and Suzanne Bertish. Bertish, in particular, is absolutely brilliant.
I saw this film when I was at university in 1976 at a showing at university. After taking a couple of Shakespeare classes. My friends and I were blown away. The fight at end was incredible.
Always pay attention to any sword duel with Basil Rathbone in it. He was the real deal and many in Hollywood rather loathed doing a scene as his foe. He was an exceptional swordsman.
Many, except Danny Kaye! (unless you snap your fingers)
I call bullshit.
Not sure what you're exactly calling bullshit on, but there's reference to it if you Wiki Basil Rathbone, and if you've read David Niven's books or Erroll Flynn they also have reference to it if memory serves. @@hansenbee123
Adult still my favourite Sherlock Holmes , he was perfect for the roll
@@o00nemesis00o I loved that movie growing up! I would literally recreate that scene with my brother with sticks in the backyard!🤣
This is my favorite version of Macbeth… As a GoT fan, the inspiration for how the tv adaptation was shot becomes very apparent.
I remember seeing this version of MacBeth when I was in high school (20+ years ago) and have yet to see a fight scene that so vividly depicted the desperation and enmity with the flow of attack and defense under the weight of exhaustion. I appreciate your commentary.
Dude, this is amazing. Make more videos! There aren't enough film analysts out there, I always say
Terrific analysis. Very enjoyable and eye-opening. One quibble: At 0:14 our narrator refers to "the final penultimate duel in Roman Polanski's 1971 adaption of Macbeth." Um, ... What? To paraphrase Inigo, shortly before his epic sword fight with the Man in Black, "I do not think the word 'penultimate' means what you think it means."
Well technically there is a long enough pause in the duel it could be considered two. There's the original fight where MacBeth has MacDuff dead to rights and feels guilty about his family so he opts out of finishing move, then the revelation from MacDuff and the whole new fight where MacBeth is genuinely fighting for his life.
The duel is right before the end, doesn't that make it the penultimate scene?
@@Wonzling0815 The word "penultimate" means the second-last. If a story has, for example, five duels in it, then the fifth duel would be the last or final (ultimate) duel; the fourth duel would be the penultimate duel. This is regardless of where they are in the story--near the beginning, just before the end, in the middle, ...
@@genghisken0181 "Penultimate" means second-last. If you consider this scene to contain two duels, then one of them might be the penultimate duel. But regardless, there can only be one penultimate duel in the story. So to call a duel a "final penultimate duel" makes no more sense than to call a duel the "final last duel." There is only one last duel; there is only one second-last duel.
@@KZheadallowedmynametobestolen I know what penultimate means. Not many fans of Shakespeare or archaic fighting are ignorant of such terminology. It is possible that the narrator simply misspoke, my attempt at his defense obviously failed but I can definitely say this much: his video on this subject is miles above the video I never made regarding this matter.
This is the best film version of MacBeth. its also one of the ten best Shakespeare films ever. And you are correct, this fight arranged by Bill Hobbs and Polanski is utterly excellent.
I hate how this version, and others, take the artistic liberty to portray Macbeth as having mercy on Macduff in the final battle, while Macduff refuses to accept Macbeth's mercy. In the play, Macbeth expresses reluctance to fight Macduff before the fight begins, claiming superficially that he feels guilty. The truth is that Macbeth does not want to fight Macduff because of the witches' first apparition, his cowardice and superstition, in other words. The artistic liberty taken by Polanski and other filmmakers, out of thin air, gives Macbeth favorable sympathy where there shouldn't be any. It seems like this liberty is taken to try to make the play the stereotypical fallen hero with a tragic flaw, while in truth, Macbeth is not that.
What’s your list of the ten best Shakespeare films?
@@horsymandias-ur Henry V (Laurence Olivier); Chimes at Midnight (Orsen Welles); Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zeferelli) Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh); Much Ado About Nothing (Kenneth Branagh); Twelfth Night (Trevor Nunn) King Lear (Peter Brook); Richard III (Laurence Olivier); Othello (Laurence Olivier); Midsummer's Night Dream (Max Reinhart).
Agree on all counts.
I totally get where you're coming from but I have to disagree. Macbeth does deserve some degree of sympathy, and I believe this was Shakespeare's intention with the character. @@jimsmith8359
Remember watching this movie when very young and that scene was still fresh today more than 40 years after until I found your video.The art of realism in that movie and the plot made you think a lot and remember it to compare to other films.
One of the best Western cinematic fight scenes, ever. I first discovered it when I was 18, and I rented it on video. I have bragged about it for years.
This is my favourite version of macbeth. The armor and chainmail just looks so rich and the kind that a rich lord or king would wear
I hate how this version, and others, take the artistic liberty to portray Macbeth as having mercy on Macduff in the final battle, while Macduff refuses to accept Macbeth's mercy. In the play, Macbeth expresses reluctance to fight Macduff before the fight begins, claiming superficially that he feels guilty. The truth is that Macbeth does not want to fight Macduff because of the witches' first apparition, his cowardice and superstition, in other words. The artistic liberty taken by Polanski and other filmmakers, out of thin air, gives Macbeth favorable sympathy where there shouldn't be any. It seems like this liberty is taken to try to make the play the stereotypical fallen hero with a tragic flaw, while in truth, Macbeth is not that.
Excalibur has some good fight scenes in armour. Can someone PLEASE post this whole film!!! pretty please..
So nice to find out the name of the man behind those fight scenes! I loved them all and those are among my favourite films, in large part because of the impact of those scenes.
I imagine the atmosphere on set when they shot the slaughter of Macduff's family must have been tense, with everyone aware of just how closely Polanski's art was imitating life with this scene
Sadly and terribly underrated film. Polanski, whilst deeply flawed himself, has occasionally managed to turn out a few masterpieces and this is one of them and one of the best from his very uneven oeuvre. From the opening scene to the finale it is incredible, made on a low budget and produced by Hugh Hefner, of all people. One of my all time favorite films and the best film adaptation of Macbeth, if not Shakespeare. Leads you to wonder what The Bard himself would have thought of it....
Knife in the Water by Polanski is great too.
I dont think it is apt to just describe a child r*p*st with the simple words of "deeply flawed"
Absolutely fantastic video! I am thoroughly inspired to check out this adaptation of Macbeth.
Absolutely spot on! As an English teacher of 20 years I always showed this as the main and definite version to the students.
I've just recently discovered this film myself; but I must say, I have long been a fan of the great sword fight in 1968's Romeo and Juliet as well. (I think it might be the first to show the realistic action and fatigue of this sort of battle) Thanks for the video. Well done!
I hate how this version, and others, take the artistic liberty to portray Macbeth as having mercy on Macduff in the final battle, while Macduff refuses to accept Macbeth's mercy. In the play, Macbeth expresses reluctance to fight Macduff before the fight begins, claiming superficially that he feels guilty. The truth is that Macbeth does not want to fight Macduff because of the witches' first apparition, his cowardice and superstition, in other words. The artistic liberty taken by Polanski and other filmmakers, out of thin air, gives Macbeth favorable sympathy where there shouldn't be any. It seems like this liberty is taken to try to make the play the stereotypical fallen hero with a tragic flaw, while in truth, Macbeth is not that.
I remember my english teacher showing my class this movie in 10th grade and it really brought Macbeth to life for me. As a kid who'd been enamored with the fighting in Bruce Lee movies and DBZ at 6 years old, I thought the Macbeth vs Macduff fight was fucking insane.
I have always thought that fight sequence to be obsoletely Brilliant. Great Video.
I’ve been looking for this film for decades. Thanks
I'm a high school English teacher, and I've seen this many times. The students often think that the fight looks "fake", but I think it's just because their used to the choreographed dances of so many other movies. Real fights are clumsy and exhausting, as you point out. And it makes perfect sense that it's the same choreographer as Rob Roy! Another great one!
Always liked this movies's version best because of this fight scene. The savage, choreographed unchoreography drove home the bleak despair of this play.
This was really well done. You should do more stuff like this
This was a real treat to experience back in 7th grade, happy to see it again after all this time, and from a different light.
Great breakdown of a fantastic work of art by Polanski Thanks for the work you put into this-this film is a classic
The movie FOUR FRIENDS has a wonderful fight scene in which the underdog vomits twice and the two antagonists slip in the bile among the heaving villainy. I liked it a lot.
Where can you find this movie?
Some of the fighting in this film is glorious. Really skillful use of the two-handed longsword, using its circular momentum to keep attacking and also to defend. And the weight of the weapons feels very real. It's a visceral fight.
Awesome evaluation and dissection! Many thanks!!
I must say Excalibur (1981) does show some interesting (and exhausting) fights.
Yes! Excalibur delivered a really good combo of gritty + high fantasy. When it all kicks off, it's brutal and scrappy - not clean and shiny at all...
Man I think the algorithm is about to send you to the moon
Interesting! I haven't seen this one yet and here I am as a medieval fan thinking that I've watched all medieval movies out there that are worth watching. Will definitely watch this one soon. Thanks, and great analysis and commentary.
I've never seen this version of Macbeth but I'll have to check it out now! Great video!
I had the same experience when I saw this film in high school myself. I thought the fight at the end between Macbeth and Macduff was just incredible. I got my own copy (these were the days of VHS lol) and watched that scene several times. The kinetic energy of that fight scene is just incredible. Unparalleled in many ways. Thank you for your video.
Love your analysis and excellent breakdown of this fighting scene in this classic film. I would also look at - which I'm sure you know - the sword fighting from the Polish historical drama from 1974 "The Deluge'. It is on another level.
I saw content elsewhere about that Polish film. The production crew really did their utmost to make the duel believable.
I have heard that the scene from The Deluge is considered the most realistic sword duel ever filmed.
Yup. One of the participants was very nearly horribly injured!
The problem I have with these old fight scenes is how they broadcast their next attack way harder than they attack anything at all. Dude walked over with a tree branch and looked badass until he raised it like Buster Keaton in a comedy act. Then he lightly brings it down to the wall behind the other guy who saw the attack coming from a mile away and got out of the way. In actual combat, if you have time to sit down, and watch a guy walk up to you with a tree branch until he raises it, you're dead. The time it takes to swing a weapon is a blink but the guy gets off his ass in full plate and moves out of the way...
I studdied in a film school, and I never knew this movie existed... wow. Thanks, I'm gonna watch this today it looks like a real a real treat. I sense here the Von Triers "MEDEA" vibes, one of my favourites inspirations for building atmosphere and grimness.
One detail that caught my eye was the movement of MacBeth's hands at the moment he was beheaded.....good grief, that was chilling and I've never thought about it, but it added a split second of reality that I had never seen in any other similar scene, and must have been done with some pretty extensive effort via practical special effects. Thanks for this review!
I had a visceral reaction to this also, and had to watch it through a time or two more to figure out why it disturbed me so. It was definitely the jerky movement of the arms/hands, almost as if his last split-second thought was to catch his head and hold it in place. Gruesome.
If there's a fight scene that I believe is iconic its the fight scene from "Bad Day at Black Rock" where Spencer Tracy, a one armed combat vet takes on a local thug played by Ernest Borgnine. It was one of the early times martial arts was used in a movie. Tracy's character starts with a knife hand chop to the thug's throat and then proceeds to hit him in the vulnerable spots. Ironically I heard it was Borgnine who suggested the character use judo to take on his character. One of the best scenes is where Borgnine's character gets thrown out the door and he's trying to get to his feet, but the whole time Tracy's character is just standing there and all we're seeing is his back, and he's not moving, it's like he's being the opposite of intimidating, but his back facing the camera without moving shows a strong willed character whose not in the least backing down, but just waiting for his opponent to get back on his feet.
I agree with everything that you said. I also saw it in high school. The fight scene blew me away at the time.
Great video essay - subscribed! I felt like fight scenes in Netflix's The King had this feel too - extremely weighty and exhausting duels.
The fight scenes in the Duelists are also excellent.
The final penultimate... So .. there was a last-but-one before this last-but-one one? And what happened to the ultimate one?
Maybe the movie has many series of duels, and this is second-to-last duel in the final series? /s
@@ishouldgetacoolname I don't know if you thought you were kidding but you've actually helped me relax about this phrase, thanks!
The death of Macbeth and the sounds of those eerie strings actually gave me some chills. Really good, got me out of nowhere.
I’m always happy when anyone mentions this particular version of Macbeth..👍
A fight scene that has always stuck with me is the polar opposite of MacBeth’s realism: the Bride taking on the Crazy 88 in Kill Bill Vol. 1. It’s ridiculous, over the top, but is done so for the pointed purpose of creating a manga-like flavor to that film.
Fight scenes, in my opinion, don't have to be realistic, they can be, and many are great for it. But a fight scene first and foremost needs to be engaging. People love the kingsman church fight, not because it's realistic but because of the wonderful fast choreography - he likes macbeth because its realistic in its portayal of armour (and also the movments are incredible). A boring fight can't be saved by realism or fantasy. An engaging fight can be enhanced by either of them.
This was an enchanting exploration into the craft of portraying violent fights in cinema. Thanks. Really well put together. I really really wish you'd cover Outlanders fight scenes too! Great show.
Roman Polanski's "Macbeth" is a must see film. Excellent rendition of Shakespeare's classic play. I saw the film as a student back in the 70's. Easy to stream online. I doubt you will be disappointed. Thanks for the video.
Agreed. I was blown away. I avoided watching it for awhile because Polanski is a disgusting pervert who should be locked up but it’s definitely a haunting adaptation. Probably the best out there
I've always used this film to teach Macbeth to my KS4 pupils. I love every second of it and always point out the realism of the final fight. Jon Finch was so cool.
Im glad you mentioned Rob Roy. That sword fight scene sticks with me for some reason.
Great film - watched it in a local cinema on a school trip, our English teacher ensured no-one bunked off by repeatedly telling us in the preceding weeks that Francesca Annis did the sleepwalking scene in the nip. Dozens of schoolboys were then sorely disappointed as a combination of dark lighting and her long hair meant that you couldn't see anything, but there were zero absentees!
Ah, yes, 'know your audience' XD
Well, they , at least, got to see the young witch flash her naughty parts mischievously.
I studied MacBeth in Year 10 for my English GCSE and also watched a modern stage version at the same time. It’s a shame that the text in the Folio was cut to shreds. I’d love to know what the original was like
What are you talking about? Macbeth was first published in the First Folio in 1623 and nothing was cut to shreds.
Amazing review!
I agree, this is a great film and not just the fight scene but the whole film. A fight scene that has always stuck in my mind was the one in the 1960s film Jason and the Argonauts where the dead are raised from their tombs to fight one more time and an army of skeltons fight the Argonauts. A masterpiece in filming and all long before CGI .
Takes me back, it's an amazingly choreographed fight scene. I'm glad that this was the version my class watched in highschool. We also watched the Zeffirellis "Romeo & Juliet" which also had an amazing fight schedule being the Romeo and Tybalt duel
You can definitely see the influence of this on John Boormans excalibur in the 80s. Same sort of dirty, tired weary fighting that breaks the hero down...thinking of the scene with Uther in the first act especially.
And monty python and the holy grail... ;)
The armour in "Excalibur" has a 'presence' of it's own.
The ordeal figth between Lancelot and Gawain in Excalibur is my personal first watched example of the exhaustion in figthing each other in heavy armour and the final one between Sean Connery and Robert Shaw in Robin and Marian takes one more step in that subject by catching your heart for both sides, driven to do, what they do...
i never saw this version but i'm definitely looking for it now.
Polanski's forays into the dark and macabre have always fascinated me and his take on Shakespeare certainly brings this element to the fore giving it the aesthetic of near gothic horror.