Before Citizen Kane and The War of the Worlds, leading Broadway actress Rose McClendon and producer John Houseman convince a gifted but untested 20-year-old Orson Welles to direct Shakespeare’s Macbeth with an all-Black cast in Harlem. Reimagined in a Haitian setting, this revolutionary 1936 production, which came to be known as “Voodoo Macbeth,” would change the world forever, but the road to opening night proves to be a difficult one. Orson and Rose – who is to play Lady Macbeth – clash over everything from scene blocking to crew hires, while Houseman contends with a congressman hell-bent on shutting down what he deems “communist propaganda.” Welles and McClendon must overcome political pressure, personal demons, and protests to realize their groundbreaking vision. Based on True Events.
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Video Quality
Voodoo Macbeth debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that looks really nice overall. One of the first things you will appreciate about this transfer is the way it delivers a stellar amount of detail and clarity within the environment. There are elements of the production design and costumes that have a notable texture that comes through when the camera is exploring the set. The movie often takes place at night or in theaters with low lighting, both of which are helped along by strong black levels that hold together without issue. Objects retain their detail in most environments and banding only shows up in a few odd instances. No damage or digital noise was detected that would detract from this transfer. The movie has a natural palette veering on warm, which renders very nicely on screen with an amber glow in some moments. There are splashes of color within the costumes that stand out. Lightyear Entertainment has done a nice job with this one.
Audio Quality
The film comes to Blu-Ray with a formidable DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 track that both execute the limited sonic ambitions perfectly. Dialogue and sound effects are balanced with the score where nothing loses clarity. The movie shows its strength when it comes to the bustling environmental sounds that conjure an immersive atmosphere. Surround channels add some texture to scenes with sounds emanating from all of their distinct points. The low end never really steals focus, but it does what it needs to do. This audio track is perfectly in line with what you would want from the experience. There are English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Co-Writer Erica Sutherlin; Co-Director Zoe Salnave; Producers Miles Alva and Jason Phillips; and Actors Inger Tudor and Jewell Wilson Bridges provide a commentary track in which they discuss various aspects of this unique production. Throughout this conversation we learn about the multitude of writers, directors and producers on the film, the shooting locations, the experiences the actors brough to their performances, what didn’t make it into the film, and more that is worth a listen.
- Original Footage: A four-minute video of the 1936 footage is provided here which serves as an intriguing historical artifact of the performance.
Final Thoughts
Voodoo Macbeth has a scrappy, low-budget quality which inspires you to look over some of the more bumpy elements of the production. There is obvious care put into the crafting of the film, but it has a flat visual dynamic which is reminiscent of a made-for-television movie. The performances likewise tend to go a bit broad in their execution, although no one is particularly lacking. The script is straightforward in its presentation, but it makes up for any slight deficiencies with the actual content of the story it is trying to tell. This is a really fascinating bit of theater history, and the fact that you have a legend like Orson Welles directly tied to it makes things all the more appealing. The film is entertaining when it comes down to it, even if there are some ways which could have given the material more gravitas if circumstances were different. Lightyear Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a lovely A/V presentation and a couple of great special features. If the logline intrigues you, it is at least worth a shot. Recommended
Voodoo Macbeth is currently available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lightyear Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.