While not the greatest modernization of a Shakespeare play, this movie is visually stunning and John Turturro can always be counted on to give a great performance. The fortune teller is a decent substitute for the 3 witches and the period sets and costumes are wonderful. I wouldn't recommend this movie if you are a die hard Shakespeare fan, but would if you love gangster flicks or interesting ideas.

This is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy the story of "Macbeth". The challenge of turning the characters into mobsters was met well. It was done creatively, and it follows all the main points without cheating. John Tuturro and Peter Boyle are good; everyone else is fine. If this was a completely original work, it would rate lower, but I think it is very good considering what they were trying to do, and that's why it is ultimately satisfying. The other comments posted by another viewer are undeservedly harsh. It's a bum wrap. Again, if you like "Macbeth", this is pretty cool. If you love iambic pentameter and period pieces, go rent Roman Polanski's version of "Macbeth", or something of Shakespeare's with Kenneth Brannagh.

There are not too many really good movie versions of Macbeth, in fact I would say that there are no really good movie versions. As an English teacher, I would really like to show my students something that correctly captures the mental deterioration of the characters and accurately illustrates the violence and cruelty of Macbeth. This film is able to do that, unfortunately, due to the language, I will not be able to show it in class. But, I was pleased with this version of Macbeth. The acting is pretty good and the characters are believable mobsters. I wouldn't say that it tries too hard to follow the play; rather, I would give it credit for sticking to the play and modernizing it in a believable way. Overall, well done.