WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Woe to the man who would seek his power, his prestige, his honor, his rule through means most foul, tempted by fate and wooed by madness. For within this realm of wanton greed and lust for domination, there is at its heart one so close, a lover, a wife, a Queen whose clever tongue would hold sway over a man’s actions such, that he would be spurred onwards into malicious intent all consuming. Scotland’s war rages against Norway and Ireland’s combined might, and one of its fiercest Thanes, Macbeth (Michael Fassbender), charges the battlefield a man possessed. Given a prophecy by three witches (Kayla Fallon, Lynn Kennedy, and Seylan Baxter) that he will rule Scotland, his fervor for conquering is unquenchable.
Upon returning home to his wife, Lady Macbeth (Marion Cotillard), she too begins filling his mind with the notion that their existing King, Duncan (David Thewlis), must be eliminated for Macbeth to wear the crown. Once Duncan is brought to Macbeth’s home at Inverness, and despite Macbeth’s many trepidations, the deed is ultimately done and made to look like others carried out the murder. Assuming the throne, Macbeth’s reign is one of paranoia and madness. Becoming tyrannical in his methods of maintaining order due to these inner struggles, including the killing of Macduff’s (Sean Harris) family and his best friend Banquo (Paddy Considine), guilt, civil war, and death become all Macbeth’s world contains. And as both he and his wife succumb to the weight of conscious, consequence takes its toll.
Next, my Mind:
Director Justin Kurzel and screenwriters Jacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, and Todd Louiso deliver up one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies and do what should be done with the classic material–KEEPING it classic via maintaining not only the original language, but also ensuring it is presented in the context of the age the story unfolds, in lieu of what so many other film efforts have done in attempting to modernize the plays in both text and era. Likewise, the tone offered up is very much apropos and accurate to the play–dark, brooding, bloody, and intense–filled with the dense fire of rage, merciless ambition, descents into dismay, and bitter retribution. Tea and scones at this point, anyone? Anyone?
And when intensity is called for, Michael Fassbender most assuredly delivers this in spades as Macbeth, snarling on the battlegrounds of the Highlands with unbridled ferocity, then agonizing under the magnitude of his increasingly malevolent actions when wearing the crown, all while managing to show a modicum of heart in his love for Lady Macbeth. Marion Cotillard likewise emotes extremely well as the silver-tongued Lady most fair in the sordid affairs of state brought about by her and her husband’s mutual vindictiveness and laments. Strong supporting turns by excellent character actors Harris, Considine, and Thewlis, plus the eerie and ominous enacting of the witches by Fallon, Kennedy, and Baxter, all come together to full effect.
Overall, this newest version of “Macbeth” should stand out among the film versions done prior thanks to its gritty, charcoal-hued, explosively potent visuals and vigorous, impassioned, and fiery dialogue in classic prose that truly transports the viewer to its dark age. All hail, indeed.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
