Macbeth

This 1997 British television production of one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies stars Jason Connery (Sean's son) as the Thane of Cawdor, who is told a prophecy that sets in motion a chain of events, including murder and war. Connery might seem like a lightweight choice in a role usually associated with glowering, heavyweight actors; yet his casting in this version—with its emphasis on tight close-ups, intimate dialogue readings, gritty battle scenes, and genuinely medieval settings (filmed in and around Scottish castles and abbeys)—works well given Macbeth's (faulty) cunning. Helen Baxendale proves to be an interesting Lady Macbeth, the talented manipulator who is visibly out of her depth once the consequences of her scheming start to pile up. The two come across like the world's worst power couple in this grim production that features stunningly violent fight sequences and otherworldly scenes with the witches who initially set Macbeth's ambitions afire. Director Jeremy Freeston takes a smart, cinematic approach that makes this Macbeth accessible to a wider audience. DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette. Recommended. (T. Keogh)