Video:

Shot originally for television, MacBeth is presented in full-frame video. There has been precious little done to clean up the original print or video; the picture is soft throughout and the black looks much closer to a dark gray. But then, it's a 26-year-old British archival piece – not exactly state of the art materials.

Audio:

The Dolby 2.0 stereo track does all that it needs to do. Dialogue is mostly clear throughout, with only an occasional background sound conflicting.

Extras:

The A&E Home Video disc is not loaded with extras, but those that are here are incredibly interesting. A 33-minute featurette called The Scottish Play is nothing more than an interview with McKellen about the play and the production, and contains a lot of the philosophy behind staging such a stripped-down version ("It confirmed what a lot of us feel about Shakespeare – that he can be over designed."). For this, it would have been nice to get chapter stops within the featurette for easier access to favorite stories or insights.

There is also a four-minute introduction to the disc by McKellen, which is a great piece to watch right before plowing into the main feature. He sets the scene well and gives some interesting background. Additional features include a timeline of Shakespeare's plays and filmographies for Dench and McKellen.

One major opportunity is missed, though – there are no subtitles provided. Considering the classic text, it would have been nice to have the opportunity to follow along at home by that route, as well.

Final Thoughts:

This is, for my money, the best version of MacBeth available on DVD. For those interested in the language more than the scenery, it can't be beaten, especially with the fine performances of McKellen and Dench. This should be required viewing for those studying the Bard, and it is must-seek-out material for fans of his work.