In this course, we’ll watch and discuss three different cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Roman Polanski’s classic take on this tragedy (1971); Akira Kurosawa’s acclaimed Japanese adaptation, Kumonosu-jō (English title: Throne of Blood, 1957); and the recent innovative interpretation by Joel Coen (2021), starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. We will also consult reviews and scholarly articles on Shakespeare cinema generally and these films in particular.

This module is structured so that 3 of the 8 meetings will serve as “movie nights” where the class will watch the films together as a group. Admittedly, these meetings will be longer than an hour, so attendance beyond the hour is optional, of course. After a General Introduction (Meeting 1), Meeting 2 will serve as the movie night for Polanski's adaptation, followed by discussion of the film in Meeting 3. We follow this pattern for the Kurosawa version (Meetings 4 & 5) and the Coen version (Meetings 6 & 7), before ending with a look back at all three versions (Meeting 8).