Macbeth, a Thane of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
Bleak as a morgue, even more brutal than the play, Kurzel’s stark psycho-drama can’t unseat its source, but is still mighty screen Shakespeare.
Inspired, innovative, stunning, with unforgettable performances and images, this is up there with the great screen Shakespeares. The playwright surely would be thrilled with it in its full-blooded vigour.
Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard are a dream-team pairing in Justin Kurzel’s charismatic, but unsubtle, retelling of the Scottish play.
This is a film so steeped in blood and darkness that it becomes increasingly oppressive to watch.
A great and powerful movie.
All in all this is bold and ambitious filmmaking, artful but accessible, and a worthy addition to the canon of great Shakespeare adaptations.
The performances are astonishingly intense, their sound and fury signifying everything.
It is oppressive, unrelenting and difficult to endure but it also has a raw, haunting power that makes it one of the most inspired Shakespeare adaptations we have seen in a very long while.
I have to admit Macbeth is one of my least favourite Shakespeare plays but I was hoping this production would inject some urgency and empathy into the rather oppressive tale. Unfortunately, it does not.
Plenty of gore and action animate this post-Braveheart adaptation of the Scottish play.
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General release. Check local listings for show times.
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