I'm watching a version of Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart and set in the 20th century (with an atmosphere like Stalinist Russia), which demonstrates why you shouldn't do this. The Weird Sisters become the Weird Nurses, a Russian dance breaks out between appearances of Banquo's ghost, and several of the supporting performances (especially the Porter) are excruciating. Lady Macbeth is pretty bad, too, and Stewart is sometimes effective and other times overacting like mad. He does look properly terrified when Banquo comes to dinner.

Setting the table for the banquet is interspersed with stock footage of armies on parade, demonstrating heavy symbolism of something or other. It's one of those moments that makes you say, "Oh, come ON!"

I'm watching a version of Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart and set in the 20th century (with an atmosphere like Stalinist Russia), which demonstrates why you shouldn't do this.

On the other hand, I'm watching Kenneth Branagh's take on "As You Like It," set in a British enclave in 19th Century Japan....

I didn't know about this. Must see.

Harold Bloom points out that Rosalind speaks only a few lines of blank verse. Many consider her the most intelligent, most complete female in all of Shakespeare. The play was wildly popular in its day. The audience had to accept an adolescent male playing a woman playing a man playing a woman, so the actor had to fit the part. The crowd had to be delighted to see a "woman", for more than an hour, free herself from feminine conventions. For me, Helen Mirren succeeds wonderfully.