David, now an old man, is still king of Israel. Among his sons, the ambitious Adonijah and the clever Solomon. The two young men are fierce rivals, since both are prospective heirs to the throne and only one can be successful. During a hunting expedition, Adonijah challenges his younger brother Solomon to a chariot race. While Solomon, though brave, still retains a modicum of caution, the daredevil Adonijah is eager to win at all costs -- and loses control of his chariot. Solomon takes the seriously injured Adonijah back to Jerusalem. On the way there they meet the attractive Abishag, who despite her youth is versed in the use of healing herbs. She actually succeeds in helping the prince. Adonijah falls in love with Abishag -- but Bathsheba arranges things so that she works for David, hoping that her youth, her beauty and her healing powers will soothe the old king's suffering. Several members of the influential priesthood and also the respected army general Joab, who served David loyally for many years, support Adonijah's claim to the throne-- even though David has still not made any decision with regard to a potential successor. The battle-experienced Joab regards Solomon as an indecisive weakling, under whose leadership the kingdom would soon fall apart. When the prophet Nathan finds out about Adonijah's conspiracy he informs Bathsheba and Solomon, who urge David to take immediate action. And so it comes to pass that preparations to anoint the future king of Israel are made both at the Spring of Enrogel, where Adonijah and his men are encamped, as well as in Jerusalem. The festive procession for Adonijah has already been assembled and the people enticed with delicious delicacies to cheer him on, when the news of Solomon's coronation reaches Enrogel. The people promptly acknowledge the will of King David and stream off to Jerusalem in their hordes to greet Solomon, their future ruler. Adonijah remains behind with a handful of loyal followers. He realizes that he has lost -- for the time being. Humbly he places his life in his brother's hands. Adonijah is forgiven on one condition: that he always remains loyal to his brother Solomon. The great King David is dead, and his son Solomon has succeeded him as the rightful ruler of Israel. Adonijah now has a request to make of Bathsheba: he wants to marry Abishag. Solomon hears about this seemingly innocent wish, and recognizes it as a renewed ploy on behalf of his brother to reclaim the throne -- Adonijah's marriage to the last woman to share King David's bed would strengthen his political position considerably. Solomon knows that he has to act quickly and decisively if he is to secure his own power. He has his brother Adonijah and the latter's closest associate Joab executed. After this radical decision, Solomon withdraws to present sacrifices. In a dream the Lord appears to him and grants him the fulfillment of a wish, whatever it may be. Solomon merely asks for wisdom -- in order to become a good ruler and judge. War with Egypt is looming. To arm his kingdom against the territorial ambitions of its powerful neighbors, Solomon not only introduces several reforms but also decides to marry the daughter of the pharaoh. The Egyptian princess does not remain Solomon's only wife, however: as time goes by the king marries numerous noble women from many different countries for political and economic reasons. In this way he preserves peace for his people, and creates great prosperity. By allowing the women to continue practicing their domestic customs and religious rituals in Jerusalem as well, he comes into regular conflict with the priesthood, who see the foreign religions as endangering Israel's sole covenant with the Lord. The wisdom granted to Solomon by God becomes fully evident when the king sits in judgment. One day two harlots each claim to be mother of the same baby. Solomon's decision seems utterly cruel: he says that the child should be cut in two so that each woman receives half. Solomon can now determine who the real mother is from her reaction: she will not allow her child to be harmed. Solomon hands the child back to its true mother amid cheers of approval. One of the most important tasks handed down to Solomon by his father David is building the great Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. It has to be larger and more magnificent than all other temples in the world, and Solomon now sets about fulfilling his father's wish. He places Jeroboam in charge of the Israelite workers as chief overseer. Seven years later, the work is completed. The expensive construction materials have been brought from far-off lands, and the people of Israel have paid exceedingly high taxes without complaint in order to finance the construction work. The Ark of the Covenant can now finally be taken to the Temple in a triumphant procession. After so many years of wandering, the Israelites' most sacred possession now has a fixed home of its own. People stream to Jerusalem from across the entire country to celebrate the great day. Abishag, now married, comes too and brings her family. Solomon has decided to mingle among the people in disguise, and he and Abishag are overjoyed when they accidentally meet again after so many years. The Temple makes Jerusalem and its king famous throughout the world. Even the dark-skinned Queen of Sheba sets off with a large retinue to visit the wise and cultivated Solomon and admire his magnificent city. The admiration turns out to be mutual: Solomon, captivated by her beauty, falls deeply in love with her. The two of them have a child, Menelik, but one day the Queen of Sheba decides to leave. She does not want Menelik to be deprived of the regal dignity awaiting him in his home country. Solomon stays behind, with a heavy heart. The king has now achieved everything he set his heart on, but with the passing of the years the wise Solomon gradually becomes a melancholy, skeptical old man who regularly questions his very existence. Material things seem to represent the only reality for him. He also refuses to adopt any kind of steady policy, especially in religious matters. With his foreign wives, Solomon sacrifices to foreign gods, and this incurs the wrath of the priesthood. The loyal Jeroboam appeals to his king's conscience, but to no avail. During one of Solomon's sorties in disguise among his people, a simple farmer reminds him of the first of the Ten Commandments revealed by the Lord to Moses: "You shall have no other gods before me." At another decisive moment, God Himself speaks to Solomon and announces the punishment for his sinfulness: the kingdom will collapse after Solomon's death. The king has grown old and weary. He has lost touch with the people of Israel, who are suffering from heavy taxation and forced labor. Solomon has treated his long-standing companion Jeroboam, to whom he entrusted the administration of the northern tribes, with murderous anger ever since a prophet predicted the division of the kingdom to him. The king no longer has the strength to change things -- he just leaves them as they are. The consequences of this become clear shortly after his death. Solomon's son and successor Rehoboam treats the country's leaders with arrogance, and provokes the division of the kingdom into two parts: the only tribe still loyal to him is that of Judah, while all the others unite under Jeroboam. The prophecy has been fulfilled. The kingdom that Solomon received from his father David, and invested with such might and magnificence, is now divided.
丹泽尔华盛顿演得确实是不太行……灯光真漂亮，女巫那几场戏非常好。
仿佛看了一个舞台剧，黑白片也不显得沉闷。喜欢配乐，另外表白弗兰西斯·麦克多蒙德，如果不是三封了，也许阿姨还能再来一个奥提
舞台感太强，削弱了电影的魅力。演员说着莎士比亚台词，却没有一丝古典的韵味，人物身体语言、动作语言、房屋建筑均让人出戏，整个就是一现代舞台剧。麦克白的贪欲动机生硬单薄，所以他的毁灭也难以引起共鸣。
像是在看舞台剧一样。莎翁可以拍，但没什么必要。个人不太喜欢丹泽尔·华盛顿扮演的麦克白，感觉就是把《籓篱》的表演模式照搬了过来。
有点伯格曼的意思，但舞台剧化电影不算是现代电影，人物环境剧情三要素只剩下了人物，即使再优雅的台词文本，再有张力的人物表演，也显得太形式主义，空有一副骨架。
极简舞台剧，中世纪建筑冷峻鬼魅，迷雾重重，影子般的乌鸦，神叨叨的恶魔，有《第七封印》的感觉了，摄影简直太美太美，灯光也打的颇具水准。一度认为莎翁原著中的活生生的人性罪恶和宿命论很适合放在德国表现主义，黑白，高反差的戏剧化影像进行表达，畸变的人，扭曲的脸在一个个特写里直击观者，而那些高大建筑生硬的切线仿佛时刻在将人分割，虽看整个片子没什么原创性但在视觉表达和呈现上足够惊艳
看似极简，其实充满了设计，不得不承认打光和摄影确实极具观赏性，完全匹配这个阴郁又带有邪性的古典悲剧，但除此以外是非常戏剧式的演绎，包括黑人演员的选择，不明白其意义何在。
老莎的东西，你们敢说不好？还是你们觉得影帝影后表演不行？
文本层面已经拍不出新意了，就算是交给科恩兄弟也没有做出创新，何况还是单飞的科恩兄弟。看点就是打光的手法，可以作为教科书级别，还有几处构图方式，巨型建筑物和人物的对比关系。
开头从浓雾中走来的麦克白，结尾处遮天蔽日的群鸦，以及荒野女巫，分别从我这里获得一颗星。
就当是看舞台剧吧，这样密集复古的台词如果当成电影看还是会觉得很奇怪很难入戏的
美则美矣，但几乎毫无必要吧……看预告片我以为要拍得很抽象，当我发现这是真的要把故事原原本本完全过一遍的时候我的内心几乎是崩溃的。
非常好且非常有特色的改编。首先音乐、布景、服装都极尽简单，尤其是以几何线条般的建筑布景，简洁有力又眼前一亮。其次摄影大量使用中景和特写，对光影的运用也是一绝，此消彼长后观众所有的注意力都集中在演员的表演上，而本片台词又较晦涩（毕竟莎翁名剧），大大考验演员的台词功底和脸部表现力，也大大考验观众对文艺片的耐受程度（我不会告诉你我看的那场放到一半就有人走了），但主要演员都做得很好，尤其是麦克白夫人，那表演，IMAX大特写都能扛住，我觉得科恩嫂今年又要奥提了……
科恩妻子劝科恩兄弟决裂，对照麦克白的悲剧。
科恩兄（没有弟）这版高度风格化 美学价值和惊悚感相得益彰。黑白画面倒也看不出来是麦克白还是麦克黑。
Denzel的气质驾驭主角尚且可以，演技单论，但是夫人的选角是不是有点太老了。极简的黑白影像，有些《沙丘》的空间感+《纪念碑谷》的线条感，有点看艺术装置展的感觉，好在片长控制的还可以，算是一部走氛围重心理的麦克白。
啊啊，摄影真的牛逼哄哄，但是感觉演员的表演状态和形式都太轻松了（。）普遍配不上这种本来应该神棍兮兮的怪邹邹的风格。。感觉还是导演失策（）果然看莎翁还是在舞台上更合适吗……
影调与非常刻意的“棚拍”结合得很好，莎翁的古英文独白被大量保留。科恩这次改编总的来说是保守的，更多地去还原了戏剧舞台的力量。
看似极简，其实充满了设计，不得不承认打光和摄影确实极具观赏性，完全匹配这个阴郁又带有邪性的古典悲剧，但除此以外是非常戏剧式的演绎，包括黑人演员的选择，不明白其意义何在。
科恩兄弟第一次分开指导的作品。哥哥的美学造诣没得说，但很难讲这是不是以牺牲了部分叙事达到的效果。原来的剧本足够经典，但这部电影依然很好的阐释了戏剧和电影并非矛盾冲突对立的关系。life but a walking shadow.
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