Macbeth (1948)

Not entirely successful, hardly surprisingly in that it was shot in 23 days on a cheap Western backlot at Republic Studios. Also, Ms Nolan's Lady Macbeth is something of a disaster. That said, though, the film - unlike so many adaptations of the Bard - is pure cinema: moodily magnificent photography by John L Russell reinforces the sense of a nightmarish world before time, where primitive emotions hold sway with absolute, compelling simplicity. Adventurous film-making that takes risks, and full of imaginative flourishes.