★★★★

 Macbeth (2015)

Written by Dalton Welsh -  January 26, 2021

There has certainly been no shortage of film adaptations based on the works of William Shakespeare, one of which seen most frequently is that of his 17th century play Macbeth. While done successfully in the past, Justin Kurzel’s 2015 adaptation finally gives the tale of Macbeth the gritty and bloody display that the story has demanded. Following the classic tale of the eponymous hero who after his murder of King Duncan becomes slowly consumed by guilt and paranoia as the newly crowned King of Scotland. With a stellar cast all delivering great performances, some of the most beautiful cinematography put to screen, and an effectively moody score, one can forgive the films minor shortcomings such as a lacking in more developed character arcs, and faults in the clarity of its action scenes.

From the minute the film starts you are given insight into the visual splendour that is about to unfold courtesy of cinematographer Adam Arkapaw. The combination of breath-taking landscapes, accompanied by a great use of weather through fog and rain, the use of natural lighting to add to the films grit, the juxtaposition of the cold colour palette of the landscapes with the fiery orange and red seen in the action sequences really gives the audience a sense of the surrounding environment. This is then paired with an expert framing of our characters amongst these grand vistas. Which not only makes for some beautiful imagery but also enlightens us to the emotional inclinations of said characters whenever Shakespeare’s dialogue is not there to do so. Whether it be conveying the out of body nature the soldiers feel amidst the battle, or the disorientation experienced during the more fantastical elements of the film. Perhaps the only fault in the visuals is that some of the action scenes can feel a bit lost, but the choreography of the action was never really of that much importance to the story, and one could even argue that the faltered visual nature of these scenes helps put the audience in the mindset of the characters on screen.

Of course the common thread throughout all Shakespearean films is the exquisite dialogue. But given the old nature of the language it requires a convincing performance to make it feel natural to the character, especially given the grounded nature of the film. Luckily the film boasts a fantastic cast who are all up to the challenge. Michael Fassbender as usual showing great commitment to the role. But while he does a great job of conveying the madness of Macbeth, the film doesn’t give him much time to show his slow descent, making the development in his character feel somewhat rushed. While not to the same extent a similar sentiment could be made for Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, obviously not wanting to alter the original play to much halts the creators from giving more time to the story of Lady Macbeth, it still would been nice to see her character given just a bit more, given how compelling her dynamic with Macbeth is. Nonetheless, perhaps even more so than Fassbender, Cotillard gives her all to the performance, particularly in Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy towards the latter end of the film conveying great emotional subtlety. Her lack of a Scottish accent can be forgiven seeing as her first language is French, and it never takes away from the film. One must also mention the smaller supporting roles, particularly Sean Harris and Elizabeth Debicki as Macduff and Lady Macduff respectively, who even in the small screen-time they have, significantly fuel the emotion of the film. 

Then there is also the film’s score, which I was surprised to find was composed by the director Justin Kurzel’s brother Jed Kurzel. While not breaking any new ground and at times can feel a little repetitive, it is still greatly important to maintaining the film’s tone. The droning backtrack accompanied by the sharp elongated sounds of violins pairs greatly with the cinematography of the baron Scottish landscape to fuel the films ever present feeling of foreboding downfall. And one can’t really call the sameness to the score a negative, given that it works as a constant reminder of the inescapable tragedy that is to unfold, making the score feel like an extension of the witches prophecy. On top of this the manner in which the strings are played feels greatly reminiscent of some sort of contorted bagpipe, perhaps bagpipes were used in the score, of that I am unsure, but it nevertheless has a real Scottish energy to it.

All-in-all, while overall Macbeth was a truly great film, one can’t help but feel disappointed by the lacking in the development of the central characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, which hold back the film from being something truly special. Given that the film in all other respects is firing on all cylinders, with absolutely gorgeous cinematography, a treasure trove of compelling performances, and a characterful score that marries perfectly with the tone and visuals of the film. I hope in the future, Kurzel is given a great script from which he can make the masterpiece I know he is capable of achieving.