Filming Macbeth: Orson Welles's and Roman Polanski's Cinematic Adaptations

This thesis analyses and compares two of the most known cinematic adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It focuses on the adaptations: “Macbeth” of 1948, directed by Orson Welles and “Macbeth” of 1971, directed by Roman Polanski. In the first chapter, the thesis explores the process of cinematic adaptation from a literary work to a screen adaptation. Specifically, it delves into the “fidelity” issue and analyses what are the different types of adaptations, based on the common elements they have with the source material. Moreover, a brief overview of the history of adaptations of Shakespearean works and, especially, of the adaptations of Macbeth is given. In the following two chapters, the thesis analyses in detail the cinematic adaptation of Orson Welles’s and Roman Polanski’s “Macbeth”, in which it is possible to notice the additional elements in the passage from the theatrical work to cinema: scenography, the actors’ performances and editing. In conclusion, through the analysis and comparison of the two adaptations, this work explores how the characters’ interpretation, the theme of violence, the theme of supernatural, and other elements have been changed, innovated and interpreted differently. Therefore, the thesis shows the process in which the specific directing and stylistic choices of a director, along with the socio-historical context of the film’s production period and the personal experience of the director, give rise to different interpretations of the same work. The thesis aims to describe the Shakespearean work “Macbeth” as a work that is able to transcend cultures, eras, and media, showing its ability to renew itself.