Macbeth Film Comparison Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Film Comparison Essay Compare and contrast the opening scenes of Polanskis 1971 film version of Macbeth with Geoffrey Wrights 2007 adaptation. Roman Polanskis and Geoffrey Wrights adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth are filmed in different styles despite being based on the same play. This may be to suit a different audience or convey a different message to one another. Roman Polanskis 1971 reproduction opens on a wide angle shot of a beach with a sunrise coming up over the horizon. This creates a feeling of morning, and that this is just the start of a storyline. After this, three old, weathered women appear and dig a hole in the sand- allowing a mysterious atmosphere to develop, which leaves the audience wanting to know more. The witches then bury a dagger encased in a severed hand and a hangmans noose. These items allow the audience to ponder upon the connection of the items. The witches then say their goodbyes and wander off along the beach, the only sound being the squeaking of their cart used to haul the ritual items in. This shot is quite simple, but it creates a feeling of anticipation. Geoffrey Wrights 2007 adaptation opens in a more 21st century blockbuster style, with attractive young schoolgirls playing the part of the witches who vandalise a graveyard by gouging out the eyes of statues of angels and spraying the eyes of the statues with red spray paint. This is quite an aggressive scene to start with, and sets the pace for the rest of the film. Compared to Polanskis version, this introduction offers a more up-beat feel, instead of the more sombre style of the 1971 film. The camera then pans round to a close-up of Macbeths face whose attention is drawn to the young schoolgirls as they wander past him. He then looks at his wife who is kneeling over their dead sons grave crying. Again, another close-up, but this time of Lady Macbeths face which at this point is not particularly attractive. This could show Macbeths desire for a prettier woman in the schoolgirls, and reality- the less attractive sight of his wife; but in the end, no-one knows what he is thinking, just that he is not comforting his wife. Here, the atmosphere is quite tense- lots of things are happening at one time which makes you feel like you are there, in Macbeths hectic, confused mind. In relation to Polanskis film, this film is less mysterious and makes you expect fewer twists because there have been not many so far. The title graphics in Polanskis film are set in a Roman style font, Seriffed and coloured black. The aged font emphasizes the fact that the film is very traditional. This style of writing is often used in newspaper articles. The 2007 adaptation uses a much more modern, contemporary sans-serif font. The text is coloured red- a recurring theme in this film. In the 1971 version, a wide angle shot of the beach is the start of the film. This wide angle shot is used throughout the first scene to depict the bleak landscape that the film is set in. The wide shot could also be showing us the bigger picture- that there are many little thing that make up the plot of Macbeth, and this is just one little thing on a wide, open beach. Geoffrey Wrights film does not include many wide- angle shots in the first few scenes. This is most probably because of the action-packed nature of the film. Therefore the camera follows the action intensely- for example following the witches around the graveyard. This gives the audience an adrenalin rush- especially in the action scenes where the audience can perceive themselves to be taking part in the violence. In both films however, close-up shots of the faces of the main characters are shown. In Polanskis film this is to show mainly emotion- the creepy expressions of the witches, and Macbeths blank expression when shown in a close-up. When Macbeth is first shown, invaders are being hung in the background- but Macbeth retains his blank facial expression- suggesting that he has no feelings for those being hung. Geoffrey Wrights film shows close-ups of the faces of the witches defacing the statues at the graveyards. These shots show the determination that the witches show by their facial expressions to destroy all that has to do with God and heaven in the graveyard. The close-ups of Lady Macbeths face show her weakness in her love for her dead child. Polanskis film uses very weak morning light as a setting for the beach scene. This gives a dull, grey, washed out look to the beach. The beach seems quite uncomfortable, as it is daybreak and there is almost no light and the open beach makes you feel cold inside creating an atmosphere that hints to you that something bad is about to happen. Similarly, the 2007 version seems to be shot in the day, but there is very little light as the graveyard is overcast. Despite this, the graveyard feels more comfortable due to the auburn hair of the witches which seem to emit warmth and light- allowing the audience to feel more relaxed and enjoy the action scene that follows. Polanskis film opens with the witches burying strange items that all link to death and suffering- a dagger, a noose and a severed hand. Blood (possibly a symbol of murder) is then poured over the items. The witches then spit on either side of themselves, possibly to bind themselves to the witchcraft they are taking part in. the weather at that time is bleak ,and a thunderstorm is brewing- possibly suggesting a little cheaply hat something bad is about to happen. At that point, after the title sequence, the king gallops onto the beach to the sound of trumpets- symbolic of royalty and fame. In Geoffrey Wrights adaptation, a recurring theme of red is used from the start of the film. This colour represents blood, murder, death, danger, and the underworld. For example, the witches hair is Auburn, suggesting that they pose a mild danger to Macbeth. Also, The Cawdor- the bar which is used as a drugs den, has red wallpaper- suggesting that it is part of the underworld. The witches vandalise a graveyard at the start of the film, showing their hatred towards God and heaven. They gouge out the eyes of the angels- possibly making them blind to what is about to happen. Red spray paint is forcefully sprayed in the eyes of the statues, also making them oblivious to the witchcraft about to take place. Crosses are also defaced- possibly a reference to Macbeths worries about his afterlife. After the vandalism, the girls quieten down, possibly showing an ounce of respect seen as though the place they just demolished is a graveyard. Macbeth is dressed in casual attire, but in black, as in the introduction, he is supposed to be mourning his sons death. Macbeths wife also lays down white roses- symbols of love and innocence- ironic as in the end, nobody seems to be innocent! Later on, as Macbeth and his gang chase a drug dealer from the underworld (with the prevailing colour of red), yellow street lights and buildings are shown- this separated the real world from the underworld. This shows the audience that Macbeths actions are not within the realms of what a normal person would do, and that in order to carry on with his normal life; he must keep his actions inside the underworld. Music is an important part in setting the scene for a film, and in Roman Polanskis film, a droning, repetitive, chaos-inducing tune is used which shows the kookiness of the witches. When Macbeth is shown, a drum beat, not dissimilar to that of an army march beat is used. This shows how Macbeth is a soldier and will fight for his king. The King has music played on a trumpet- vey regal and flattering, this shows his position clearly as a monarch. The music played for the different characters is mostly to show who they are in terms of status; and the music is used instead of a lengthy introduction, allowing the audience to apply stereotypes to the different characters via the music and paint a picture in their minds about the character, but on a deeper level than shown on screen. While the title graphics are showing, fighting sounds are played- simulating the sounds of a battlefield. Plus with swords clanging and maces clashing, the audience are allowed to recreate their own battle in their minds without the help of visual hints. The 2007 version uses similarly annoying, grating noises for the witches- but this time using hissing sounds- possibly a link to the devil posing as a snake in the Bible story of Adam and Eve, where the snake fools Eve into eating the Apple, who then fools Adam into also eating the apple- an uncanny resemblance to the tragedy of Macbeth. Instead of showing a blank screen while showing the title credits, Wright preferred to show a gung-ho showdown between Macbeths gang and an Asian gang. Here, the music is loud and upbeat in contrast to the hissing beforehand- just like the 1971 version. Possibly in an attempt to entice the audience of the 21st century, Wright uses very violent scenes- such as depicting men being shot with submachine guns by Macbeth. Again- this may have been done to excite the audience; and instead of letting the audience make up the fight in their minds, a graphical representation has been put on a plate for them. This was not done in 1971 due to the social taboos against showing excessively violent scenes in films- a theme that runs right through the 2007 version as nowadays, these types of scenes are generally being seen as more and more acceptable; despite many believing that suggesting is much more powerful than stating- as could be the case in Wrights version. Roman Polanskis film shows witches dressed in ragged clothes, unwashed and with no shoes. This allows the audience to see immediately that these women are strange, and not very wealthy. The king on the other hand is shown to wear a fine suit of armour, with a polished helmet- showing his social importance and wealth. Macbeth lies in the middle of the two extremes- not exuberantly poor like the witches- as he wears chainmail and shoes; but not very wealthy and important- as he has no banner or shiny helmet. This simplistic method of categorising people shows the simplistic way in which Polanski is trying to depict the characters and show the audience how Macbeth is lodged between the two extremes of wealth and social status. When Macbeth meets up with his gang for the action sequence, all of his gang are dressed casually in dark clothes. All except the gangs Consigliere (the Kings son) who is dressed in a smart black suit with a red tie- again, with reference to the recurring theme of red, this time showing him as royalty, and as having a higher social status than the other gang members. Hair is an important part of first impressions- in Polanskis film, Macbeths hair is not shown in the introduction, and is hidden by a chainmail hood. This could hint at Macbeth being sheltered from evil and guarded due to his hood acting as a safety blanket. The King wears a crown- a symbol of true royalty, and his hair is uncovered- possibly showing that he is weak. Geoffrey Wrights adaptation also depicts the King as being weaker than the other characters when his hair colour is looked at. The King is shown as having very fair, blonde hair- again being a symbol of innocence and weakness. The witches in Polanskis film have different hairstyles- two have hoods- like Macbeths but made of cloth, and one has dirty, unwashed brown hair. This array of hairstyles allows the audience to realise that the witches are individuals, and are not all identical in the way they behave. On the other hand, the 2007 version shows all of the witches having the same hairstyle and colour- that being red- with connotations to blood and death. This also is trying to show the audience that they are quite aggressive and possibly have links to the devil. Roman Polanskis film depicts Macbeth with 1970s style censoring- no explicitly violent or sexual scenes; but traditional hints at what is happening. Wrights version is essentially a film from a totally different time period- showing excessive violence to help the modern audience understand what is going on. I think that despite the sometimes cheesy details of the film, Polanski has created a classic that really entices the audience and makes them wonder what is going on when subtle hints are dropped directing the viewer on the right direction in terms of their mental picture of the scene. The 2007 version shows how complacent modern-day audiences have become with violence and nudity in films. I think that this is mostly down to the filmmakers wanting to make the film more exciting- in some ways they have, as the action scenes in the film can be quite gripping. But as a teenager, I think that more needs to be done in order to let my imagination get to work and try to think of what is really happening, and what is the film trying to tell me beyond the gratuitous violence.

Greed and Malevolence in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Power of Greed and Malevolence in Macbeth William Shakespeare's Macbeth is not necessarily a play of fate, but rather a tragedy that occurred as a result of uncontrollable greed and malevolence by Macbeth and his wife. The weird sisters only make suggestions about Macbeth's road to kingship; they do not cast spells to make true all their predictions. These interpretations lead Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan and secure the title Thane of Clawdor. While in kingship Macbeth elects to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, for Macbeth was fearful about losing his throne to Fleance. Senseless violence and inner rage cause the King of Scotland to murder Macduff's children and wife. The predictions of the witches are only temptations. The weird sisters never tell Macbeth what to do with these suggestions. He is initially curious and disbelieving about these deceptive hags, but he takes their forecasts literally. The witches only make predictions about the future kingship of Macbeth: "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor." Macbeth, along with Lady Macbeth, was responsible for making the judgments that leads to the downfall and destruction of himself. The prophecies predicted by the weird sisters do occur, but one can conclude that latter events, such as the death of Macbeth, were not caused by their direct powers, but they were simply the witches' foreknowledge: "He (the apparitionist) will not be commanded. Here's another / More potent than the first." The vaulting ambitions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lead to the death of King Duncan. For the sake of Macbeth's ambition, he is willing to murder his cousin, Duncan. Macbeth realizes that murdering his king is perfidious and blasphemous because every king is set on throne by God; he is driven by his undying aspiration to steal the throne and be king: "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / And falls on th' other." Lady Macbeth is also moved by her avarice to be alongside her husband on the throne. She uses all her strength and intelligence for evil purposes; this confident and arrogant authoritarian instills the plan of the murder (of Duncan) to Macbeth: "We fail? / But screw your courage to the sticking place / And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep." Macbeth is the only individual responsible for the death of his friend Banquo and the flight of Banquo's son, Fleance.

HR Roles and Responsibilities Essay

Human Resource is a field that has attained reasonable and due attention by many leading firms in recent times. Human Resource has been recognized as an important factor for achieving success in the global arena and in gaining a competitive advantage in the industry. Many leading firms put special importance on the behavior of their work force playing an important role in the success of the organization. To maintain this they have planned and organized their human resource function in such a manner that it provides them a competitive advantage in the industry they operate. If we talk about Human Resource Management which has been a dedicated field for improving Human Resource function of any organization puts special emphasis on certain important aspects to be taken care of regarding the employee to achieve success in formulating a successful Human Resource department. These factors are the compensation plans and strategies, Reward and incentives plan, Training and trainability of the employees, Hiring and Recruiting and Future or career development plans (Mathis and Jackson, 2007). All these factors play a strong role and go side by side in the formulation of a competitive Human Resource Department. Human Resource has recently achieved a huge amount of success due to the realization of its importance in the organizational environment. It has been identified as a competitive advantage by some of the organizations due to the importance of Human Resource in the related industry. Human Resource Management has also changed its shape according to the trends in the World and the factors that drive change. These factors include Globalization, Technology, Diversity, and Ethics. All these factors go side by side as the business spreads due to these factors (Dessler, 2007). Globalization has been due to the technological advancements and because of which diversity increases and more ethics related situations arise in an organization. The work of human resource at one hand increases due to globalization, diversity and ethics but on the other hand Technology helps them to resolve these issues. There have been recent trends of using more and more technological equipment in the Human Resource processes. The major work of the Human Resource is to provide the organization with quality people that become the work force of the organization. In this paper we would concentrate on two functions of the Human Resource Department and how they have changed according to the trends of the human society and development of Humans. First we would discuss induction which is a very common practice in the current scenario of any organization. Induction is basically the first step in which an employee gets to know about his or her workplace environment. This covers each and every activity that helps the employee in adapting to the environment and people around him at his or her workplace. Induction can also be termed as the process of building a relationship between the employee and the organization the nature of this relationship is of a two way communication process (French, 2006). Starting on a new position and with a new organization can be a process which might take some time for the employee and the organization to get settled with. There are many new things that need to be understood and get familiar with these include fellow employees, supervisors and managers to interact, entirely new processes that need to be understood and followed, new offices and buildings that are required to be navigated, learning to work on new software, new and unknown employment environment to understand and new tasks to learn. This transition or all the above mentioned activities are made easier and more effective for the new employee as well as for the employer if the induction schemes in the organization are effective and efficient (Mathis and Jackson 2007). There are obviously costs for implementing effective and efficient induction schemes but the benefits are more far reaching and long lasting if a comparison of both costs and benefits are made. Induction is a process that has been recently added in the organizational hiring and recruiting process by the Human Resource function. There was no concept of induction some 15 to 20 years back. As organizations tend to realize the importance of working environment, which factors affect the performance of an employee and the importance of organizational culture induction has been the solution or the bridge to reduce the gap between an employee and its surroundings in a new environment (Ivancevich, 2009). This not only helps the employee in speeding up the level of his performance in the organization but also reduces the time to know different people around the organization. Performance Appraisal is another important task that needs to be completed by the Human Resource Department. This task requires a great amount of analyzing and insight on the work an employee has been doing. The employee performance is not the only criterion that is considered while creating performance appraisals. Other aspects such as employee’s attitude towards his or her job, how he or she behaves with the colleagues and other aspects such as absenteeism and the following of ethics in the work environment are also criteria that need to be studied while making performance appraisals. All this is not an easy task as studying qualitative aspects of an employee and evaluating them becomes a very difficult task to do. Apart from that employee performance can only be evaluated through the direct supervisor or manager who the employee reports to (Mondy, 2007). This can bring in to play the personal feelings and impression of the supervisor or manager under which the employee works and can create biasness in the evaluation process. Apart from this judging behaviors and attitude is another complicated task. Performance Appraisals have now included a great amount of technological tools to be used for helping in this process. Organizations have online forms for employees, which reduces the time to gather data about the performance of an employee and even retrieving it hence helping in quick appraisals and employee satisfaction of his or her performance. Not only it has reduced time but also made the procedure very effective than before helping in the work of the Human Resource Department. To conclude this paper I would like to mention the fact that all the trends and advancements in the field of human resource management have helped the organizations in making the function more effective and efficient. Some organizations proudly say that their Human Resource department is the competitive edge they have in the industry. Especially in the IT industry it is very important to maintain a effective and efficient Human Resource Department due to the fact that it can provide competitive advantage to the organization.

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