Recommendations for Macbeth DVDs to help with gcse

[Sunflower6]

My son is in year 10 and is struggling with Macbeth, I was wondering if there is a Macbeth dvd that might help him understand it better

There is a modern version of Macbeth on this Shakespeare Retold DVD which might help him understand the characters and their motivations. I use it in class before we study the play to help pupils get a feeling for the play before we study the original. In terms of the original play, I like the Patrick Stewart/Kate Fleetwood version or the Ian McKellan/Judi Dench one. I tend to show the same scene interpret indc different ways to get pupils thinking about the choices actors and directors make.

The Patrick Stewart one is good, but pretty far from how it might originally have looked. Unfortunately, there isn't really a good one that 'looks' right. The McKellan/Dench one doesn't do it for me at all.

True, Remus. I far prefer Kate Fleetwood to Dame Judi as LM, but as you say, the production doesn't give pupils an idea of how it might have been originally staged. Out of interest, what do you show pupils?

filtertheatre.com/page/home/

Are you anywhere near where this production is touring? Nothing like seeing it in the theatre...

The Stewart. Used to use the Polanski, but I hate it.

Macbeth on the Estates is v good, but obviously not at all the right 'feel' to give a student an idea of what it might have looked like!

I loved the Polanski one with Jon Finch. I remember it being pretty gory though.

If he's struggling please don't start with a modern version! I am an examiner for English Lit and the amount of responses I see based on films is shocking. And yes, we deduct marks for it.

I do recommend doing what a Pp suggested - looking at different versions of the same scene and discussing them. YouTube is good for this.

What about the BBC Animated Tales one? Can you still get it? Not seen it for years.

He might like Thug Notes as a starting point, if you are not easily offended!

Also These BBC shorts are pretty good.

I use The Globe's 2013 version of The Tempest for teaching - uses the text almost line for line. I see they have a DVD of a recent Macbeth as well here - disclaimer: I haven't seen this production.

Yes - the Globe's Tempest is excellent. Not seen the Macbeth.