Orson Welles begins his Shakespeare trilogy with Macbeth. "Macbeth" makes Welles rediscover that he still enjoys his freedom and his own genius in full. As Jean Cocteau said of the film - "Orson Welles' Macbeth has a raw, unruly force. His actors are in some fantastic subway tunnel. Wandering around, clad in animal skins, horns and cardboard crowns like motorcyclists of the early 2000s..."
Wells, in fact, was not always interested in psychological films, nor in thrillers, romances, or adventures, the genres that have been shown throughout the history of cinema; he was really interested in myths, legends, and fables. All of Wells' films begin with "Once upon a time..." Elements of myth or fable are particularly suitable for the concept of a closed world. To maintain the concept and charm of a closed world, it is necessary to avoid the interference of documentary and non-fictional scenes, such as the real sky, the sun and all natural phenomena, which will Like a dissonant note in a band. On the other hand, all those elements of the set that add theatrical color to everyday life (such as doors, windows, ceilings, and especially door and window frames) are welcome because they visually reinforce the "Once Upon a Time..." "a feeling of. This closed-world principle works well in Macbeth - high rocks are constructed of coarse canvas, and artificially let moisture seep out; helmets and weapons are made of raw, rough scrap copper Made of iron, the sprayer spews a puff of smoke that diffuses the light for dramatic effect. Everything in this film seems uncivilized, and the reason for this effect is that none of the shots were shot in natural locations.
We're so used to seeing Wells as a talented director and screenwriter, we tend to forget that he's also an exceptional actor. In Macbeth, Wells also goes to extremes in his acting style, which undoubtedly evolved from the style he used to perform Shakespeare on stage. He gradually used this style in films, mainly in "The Stranger" and "Miss Shanghai". For example, his character walks towards the camera, but not on its axis, but looks in the other direction as he progresses, like a crab; the actor's gaze almost never looks directly at the other actor, but towards the other actor. Target a point above the opponent's head, as if the Welsh-esque hero could only talk to the cloud. The expression of the eyes is also very special. The expression of the eyes is very special, and the expression is melancholy. It seems to be preoccupied, suggesting that there are hidden secrets behind the words. This rather unique performance style with a sense of sleepwalking has an unparalleled poetic power.
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