By The Pricking of my Thumbs, Something Wicked This Way Comes

Macbeth - Film - 2015


I was going to go and see The Martian yesterday however, Macbeth was still showing and we decided to go and see this instead, to watch it while we still could in the cinema. 

I won't bore you too much with the background of Macbeth, everyone has studied Shakespeare in some capacity and knows that Macbeth is a tale, based in Scotland, full of tragedy and ambition. 

It's safe to say that the story of Macbeth is not a happy one and therefore, it needed a film that would do the darkness of the story justice. 

The dialogue remains in Shakespearian English however, because you were watching a film it was very easy to follow. I'm no stranger to Shakespearian English but I'm also no expert, if I hadn't been watching it I may not have understood exactly what was going on. 

Michael Fassbender plays Macbeth supported by Marion Cotillard who plays Lady Macbeth. I have to say that these two made the film. Some of the other actors were very difficult to understand as they were speaking Shakespearian English but with very thick Scottish accents which had them mumbling more than once. However, because of Fassbender's and Cotillard's background they were far easier to understand. 

I have not seen Fassbender in anything I did not enjoy but his performance in Macbeth takes the top of his career. He was intense. He showed emotion. He cried. When he was speaking his monologues you were pinned to your seat. Hanging on his every word. Having read and studied Macbeth at school, he was how I envisioned the character. 

Cotillard stood her own as well. Lady Macbeth is a very twisted character in the play and she pulled this off very well. She pushes Macbeth to fulfill the sisters prophecy and stood by him when his mind 'was full of scorpions'. Cotillard had a presence around her that demanded respect from the room, especially when she was queen. It was good to see this from a supporting character, as in a film like this she was the strong one for a time for Macbeth and this needed to be seen otherwise, it would have ruined the atmosphere of the film. 

The other supporting characters I was not thrilled about. They were good on average but as I have said previously were extremely difficult to understand which left gaps in the story. They also did not have the same aura around them that Fassbender and Cotillard managed to gain. 

The special effects and the film picture wise was excellent. They set the film in the bleak highlands of Scotland, with the mist rolling over the hills. It gave the film a 'creepy' feel to it, especially with the sisters. 

Overall, it is a good adaptation of the iconic play. Justin Kurzel did justice to the play through the way he created atmosphere on the moors, and his choice in leading characters. A feat like this is not to be taken lightly and I am impressed at Kurzel's attempt.

7/10 

It is worth watching once however, it is not a film I would look to watch again or purchase.