“Macbeth” (マクベス / Macbeth), Original Japanese Release Movie Poster 1973 (film 1971), B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) P222

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1973 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Macbeth, Roman Polanski’s dark and visceral screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Although the film was produced in 1971, it opened in Japan on 7 July 1973, making this the original Japanese release poster for one of the most striking and controversial Shakespeare films of the 1970s. The film stars Jon Finch as Macbeth and Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth.

Film background
Polanski’s Macbeth is widely regarded as one of the most severe and cinematic interpretations of the play: a blood-soaked, psychologically brutal version that strips away theatrical polish in favour of mud, steel, violence, and paranoia. The screenplay was adapted by Roman Polanski and Kenneth Tynan, with photography by Gilbert Taylor, music by The Third Ear Band, and production backing from Playboy Productions, with Hugh M. Hefner as executive producer. In Japan it was distributed by Columbia Eiga, and contemporary Japanese materials positioned it as a bold new confrontation between Polanski’s sensibility and Shakespeare’s world.

Poster design
A superb and highly unusual Japanese design, this poster avoids the expected castle-and-battle montage and instead goes for pure symbolic force. Against a rich purple field, a giant hand grips a downward-pointing sword, creating an image that feels both heraldic and violent. Below, the fallen crown, the grieving figures, the fortress silhouette, and the battle frieze compress the whole tragedy into one elegant composition. The bold yellow マクベス title at right gives the sheet a wonderful graphic balance, while the overall design feels far more sophisticated and art-directed than most Shakespeare posters of the period. It is a striking wall piece: minimal, theatrical, and unmistakably sinister.

Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 52 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.