Roman Polanski's 'Nudity In The Film Macbeth'

ENG3U1-06 Desautels, R. April 17, 2013 Linda Zhong
Nudity in Macbeth The Tragedy of Macbeth is Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which interpreted audaciously regarding to the presence of naked bodies. In the film, Polanski’s choice to show full nudity absent from the play received mixed criticism reviews from the old society. Some found the film’s graphic nudity vulgar and superficial, but after pondering deeply over this theme of nudity; an undiscovered profound meaning in the ambiguous original text became clear. In the film Macbeth, nudity represents people who are vulnerable, bold and not alert, honest. The additional film
scenes of nakedness dramatically emphasize the weakness of human beings, show the fearlessness of revealing one’s true identity, and enhance the indestructible honesty which hides inside Lady Macbeth.
In Scotland where treason and wars often happen, even when there is no suspected danger around them, people who are vulnerable have to keep them geared up, otherwise, they might exposed to danger. The film version of Macbeths opens with the scene of murder of Macduff’s family with a picture of Macduff’s young son stands in raw in front of his mother taking a bath. In the viewers’ eyes, Macduff’s son symbolizes a youthful, cute and innocent victim who could not flee from Macbeth’s cruelty. The banter between him and his mother gives the viewers a break from the previous violent scene, but also helps to enhance the horrific climax. Women’s scream is used to hint to the audience of the hateful scene that is happening next. Macduff’s son has not done anything wrong, has no secrets to hide and does not even wearing clothes to hind his private parts. Such reading implies that this naked boy is not
defensive; and his true naivety reveals his weakness entirely just like an open book in front of others. The representation in the film of nakedness exposing weakness is perfectly demonstrated by the terrible outcome of Macduff’s son. In the play, children are not shown as a disadvantage one, but Macbeth is. Macbeth deceives himself to believe he is formidable, but in his heart he knows he is not. Through Macbeth’s action of demanding to put on this armour for protection, the reader sees the lack of confidence, “Give me my armour. Tis not needed yet. I’ll put it on” (5.3.33). This is when there are reports of the arrival of English army. Macbeth is still confident in witches’ prophecies, that he will not be easily defeated. However, even with such thoughts in his mind, Macbeth still demands to put on his armour, so he can conceal his weakness and inner fear behind the firm armour. Therefore, Macbeth needs clothes to cover up his body, or else he will feel weak. Both Polanski and Shakespeare successfully present the idea of weakness is equivalent to nudity. The presence of the naked witches in Polanski’s film adds a new layer upon the audience’s previous conception of them, which is bold. The viewer’s mind is broadened and provoked by the showing of these shocking images of the ugly “midnight hags” (4.1.47). When Macbeth enters the witches’ cave in order to know his future, he is welcomed not by three, but by a whole group of completely nude witches singing around the bubbling cauldron. The film graphically suggests the witches are powerful and brave enough. They do not need to be aware of anything, so they are comfortable of being naked. In the play, from the opening scene to the last scene the Weird sisters always have the courage to show their evil identities. “I’ll drain him dry as hay. Sleep shall neither night nor day” (1.3.23) this is a description of the revenge that the witch has planned for a sailor whose wife went against the witch’s wish. Here, the witch does not try to gloss over any of her evil plan of letting the sailor “dwindle, peak and pine.” and eventually die painfully. Therefore, Polanski has portrayed the boldness of the witches in a visual form of nudity then added to the literal form of the original text. When the film was first released, naked scenes of female body received some critical criticism, especially due to the fact that the young female actor of Lady Macbeth was entirely naked through her sleep walking scene. Her buttocks and breasts are seen by the viewer’s occasionally. While the audience concentrates on the shocking appearance of the noble queen, they are also working hard to figure out which the crimes which her soliloquies referring to. There are no more secretes and lying in this sleepwalking scene. Lady Macbeth’s honesty of speaking about the faults that she and Macbeth have done when she is naked no doubt contributes to the opinion that physical bareness is proportional to the psychic purity. The audience is just like the servant and the doctor who witnesses Lady Macbeth acknowledges her guilt. In the play Lady Macbeth is “naked” in the eyes of the doctor and the servant because she accidently reveals her true identity under a lack of awareness. “Here’s the smell of the blood still…” (5.1.50) Lady Macbeth rubs her hands in a washing motion when she describes the odour on her hands. She believes the smell of blood would not go away because that proves she is guilty. Therefore, he jittered, and reveals the truth by recalling the death of Duncan, Lady Macduff, and Banquo. In this case nakedness does not only suggest thee exposure of exteriors, but also helps to show the honesty in oneself. Human’s frailty, daring and truthfulness are developed through the use of nudity in both Macbeth’s film and play. Without wearing any clothes, people have no cloak to hide their inhumane cruel act; “everything” is exposed when one is naked from inside out.