MOVIE MONDAYS: MACBETH

Sometime back in October after a long day at work, I packed my bags, threw on my coat, signed out at the front desk and practically skipped all the way to the cinema to see this film. Emily was once again my trusted companion on this trip and I think it is safe to say we both liked what we saw. 

*  *  *  *  

When a film comes round that stars both Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender, it will undoubtedly catch my attention. And now that I am feeling more and more comfortable with exploring the world of theatre, a film that has been adapted from a play will be met with intrigue as to how they will use various cinematic techniques to embellish the story being told. For plays, in my humble and mutating opinion, are meant to be re-enacted and not simply read for pleasure so it is now even more fascinating to me to see how filmmakers will convey the story cinematically without allowing the plot to get lost.

*  *  *  *

Source: © 2015 - StudioCanal

Macbeth is a tale of a man seduced by power and does what he can to secure a promising future for him and his wife. And Justin Kurzel (Assassin's Creed; The Turning; Snowtown) is the man who directed this particular adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth which was based on the screenplay written by Jacob Koskoff (The Marc Pease Experience), Michael Lesslie (Assassin's Creed; Skirt) and Todd Luiso (The Marc Pease Experience). I vaguely remembered the general storyline of Macbeth from high school which I found quite useful when watching the film. The dialogue, as one would expect, was in Shakespearean English and I would be lying if I said I understood/caught more than half of what was said but the stunning visuals more than made up for that. The locations used were hauntingly beautiful. The sound effects were such that suspense, surprise and vigilance would, without warning, overcome you. The costumes were sometimes simple, practical and exquisite. And the movements of the characters were cloaked with grace and purpose but with a hint of foreboding. Overall, I found the film to be quite enjoyable. Not one I will be rushing out to get it on DVD but definitely a movie that was made to be seen on the silver screen.

*  *  *  *

Source: © 2015 - StudioCanal

To say Macbeth is just a drama would be an understatement. There's blood, injustice, action, betrayal, love, loss and an ever-prevalent sense of creepiness and this was definitely well-communicated in this film. Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night; The Dark Knight Rises; Inception) starred as Lady Macbeth, a strong and loyal woman who loves fiercely. I will admit it was slightly difficult for me to hear what she said at times but to be fair, with the characters speaking in Shakespearean English, there were several times the dialogue went straight over my head; I still really enjoyed her performance and unsurprisingly wish we learnt more about Lady Macbeth. Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs; 12 Years A Slave; Shame) wore the garb of Macbeth, a calculating man who is susceptible to the allure of power, very well; although, I am sure this comes as a surprise to no one. Macduff, a good friend of Macbeth, was played bySean Harris (Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation; '71; Prometheus) whilst Lady Macduff, a caring and loyal woman, was played by Elizabeth Debecki (Everest; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; The Great Gatsby). Duncan, a driven King of Scotland who loves a good celebration, was played by David Thewlis (Legend; The Theory of Everything; War Horse). And I think it is seeing David Thewlis in two films in the space of a month that has fuelled my desire to re-immerse myself in the world of Harry Potter. Anyway, back to Macbeth - THE WITCHES (!!) played by Lynn Kennedy (Cupidity), Seylan Baxtor and Kayla Fallon creeped me out big time which I am guessing was the point(?).  There are several characters in this story that are sure to tug at your satchel of emotions and it was great seeing the consequences of their actions develop on screen.

*  *  *  *

Macbeth is a beautiful film about ambition, anger, loss and loyalty and if you have seen it or are planning to I would love to hear what you thought of the film. Next week I hope to talk about Kill Your Friends which I saw last month and got to attend a Q&A with the film's screenwriter, John Niven. We'll see haha.

Mo x