Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth commits a treasonous act and takes the throne for himself.
Direction
Welles shot this in 23 days on a Republic Pictures B-movie budget.
Cinematography
Fog machines working overtime, sets built from paper and prayers.
Sound
Voodoo-inspired percussion score Welles demanded be deafening.
Director
Orson Welles
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Welles was effectively exiled from Hollywood when he made this; Republic Pictures gave him 23 days and $800,000. He later called it his 'Angora period' because he wore cheap thrift store sweaters to hide his weight gain for the role.
The witches' dialogue was all pre-recorded and Welles played it back on set at maximum volume, forcing actors to shout over it—creating the film's uniquely fevered, disorienting atmosphere by technical accident.
US
