There's no art,To find the play's construction in the film.
Boys, parties, schoolies, formal, friends and schoolwork. All vital aspects of Year Twelve which most students have under control. However when faced with seventeenth century Shakespeare, studentsÃÂ self-assurance suddenly plummets. Self-confessed Shakespeare hopeless Kate Fitzpatrick explores two potentially helpful films for a younger audience.
ShakespeareÃÂs play Macbeth has been reconstructed time and time again throughout the ages using various media. Two film interpretations, Roman PolanskiÃÂs 1971 classic and Geoffrey WrightÃÂs 2007 modernised version, have construed contrasting attitudes and values whilst still accurately representing the original text. However, for a teenage audience, WrightÃÂs modern interpretation would be more suitable than the classic version, due to WrightÃÂs contemporary context and discourses.
Wright utilises the context to appeal directly to a young audience, relating to them through technological innovations, the manipulation of sex, drugs and alcohol, effective costuming, use of violence and various film techniques, whilst simultaneously giving viewers an insight into the playÃÂs basic principles.
In contrast, PolanskiÃÂs version constantly foregrounds kingship, chaos and a patriarchal world view.
These discourses accurately represent ShakespeareÃÂs original intended reading, however they do little for a young audience striving to understand the play, as they represent drastically outdated values and beliefs from the 17th century.
Violence is a discourse which is evident in both films, yet it is foregrounded differently by the directors. ShakespeareÃÂs original text represents some violence, but it is not as dire as the directorsÃÂ depiction. Director of 90ÃÂs thriller Romper Stomper, Wright claims that he ÃÂwanted to make the most gruesome and violent film in Australian history, and have it censoredÃÂ.
If he did not achieve this, he was not far from it. Audiences are left sick to their stomach after scenes such as the initial gunning down of the...