Roman Polanksi’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is coming to the UK Criterion Collection in April
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Loading...More than 30 years after they began to set the bar for film presentation with their lovingly restored and feature packed LaserDisc special edition releases, the US indie The Criterion Collection is finally headed to the UK, thanks to a new deal with Sony Pictures.
The deal will see a selection of past and future titles getting a UK release (rights deals permitting of course), with identical artwork and extra features to those found in the US, and at very reasonable prices, especially when you compare them the cost of getting a US import (and the requirement for multi-region player to watch it on).
The first batch of 6 titles are released on April 18th, and include the classic Roman Polanski’s The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Pre-order: Amazon UK | Zavvi | HMV
Roman Polanski imbues his unflinchingly violent adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy of ruthless ambition and murder in medieval Scotland with grit and dramatic intensity. Jon Finch and Francesca Annis give performances charged with fury and sex appeal as a decorated warrior rising through the ranks and his driven wife, scheming together to take the throne by any means. Co-adapted by Polanski and the great theatre critic and dramaturge Kenneth Tynan, and shot against a series of stunning, stark British Isle landscapes, this version of Macbeth is among the most atmospheric and authentic of all Shakespeare films.
Special Features:
- New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Roman Polanski, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
- Toil and Trouble: Making “Macbeth” – a new documentary featuring interviews with Polanski, producer Andrew Braunsberg, assistant executive producer Victor Lownes, and actors Francesca Annis and Martin Shaw
- Polanski Meets Macbeth – a 1971 documentary by Frank Simon featuring rare footage of the film’s cast and crew at work
- Interview with co-screenwriter Kenneth Tynan from a 1971 episode of The Dick Cavett Show
- “Two Macbeths” – a segment from a 1972 episode of the British television series Aquarius featuring Polanski and theatre director Peter Coe
- Trailers
- PLUS: An essay by critic Terrence Rafferty
