Review of Lady Macbeth (2016) by Nightreviews — 26 Sep 2017

“To the cross, to the prison, to the grave, to the sky”. Something wicked this way comes, yet, for a very large portion of the beginning of the film, that wickedness is never really fully defined. As the film opens up in 1865 rural England, we are quickly introduced to a stunning yet bleak beauty Katherine (Florence Pugh). Katherine is on the alter on her wedding day, but don’t get this twisted, this is not your typical Hollywood wedding. Katherine was purchased with the land, a land that is apparently “not fit enough for a cow to graze upon” according to her growly and aggressively harsh, and newly appointed husband Alexander Lester (Paul Hilton). As the events of Katherine’s marriage unfolds (and these events do not take long), we find her in the bedroom of her husband’s home, naked, ashamed and facing the wall, while her husband pleasures himself in the corner of a chair beside a fireplace.

Lady Macbeth is an extremely erotic film with very impotent moments. First time feature director and veteran theatre director William Oldroyd fills each and every one of his scene with numerous cuts and various edits to allow the film to flow; almost as if, unlike theatre, being able to change pace, time, space and movement on screen is something he becomes overly excited with. Yet, with Oldroyd’s excitement with the film medium, he is able to show Katherine’s quick plight with her new husband.

Upon Alexander’s departure from his family home, which is never revealed to Katherine, our protagonist is found bored, dumbfounded and lost in a home where she has barely any authority or purpose. With the exception of her very loyal maid Anna (Naomi Ackie), the land-hands, including one very undisciplined new farmhand Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis), Katherine finds little motivation to get up in the mornings.

After an extended period of time away, Katherine dreads the company of her husband’s father, Boris Lester (Christopher Fairbanks). Aggressive like his son, the elder Lester is a constant reminder of Katherine’s misery. Feeling claustrophobic in the home, tired with boredom and restless, without ever being able to leave the property, unless otherwise advised, Katherine must spend her pointless days inside the home, with her prayer book and inner thoughts lingering.

It isn’t until one day, that Katherine, who hears a commotion in the workers lodge, that she finds Anna stripped naked and being taken advantage of by the workers. In a rousing display of power, Katherine orders the workers to stop, and demands Anna get back inside. It is in their quarrel where Katherine first takes notice of Sebastian, and the two share very intense and disarming looks. Days pass, yet Katherine and Sebastian cannot forget their gazes upon each other, a desire that, is more animalistic, and very empty of love. Coincidentally many days later, on a very abrupt stroll in the fresh air away from the property and by herself, Katherine runs into Sebastian in the countryside, where she runs off avoiding and tempting herself. It is not until later that night, in a very swift, almost intrusive and forceful display, Sebastian visits Katherine in her bedroom, and the two young and attractive individuals engage in a very taboo love affair.

While the actions of Katherine and Sebastian lust begins to unfold, an abundance of mostly evil and murderous events unfold along with them. With each new day that passes, the two vow to always be loyal to one another, despite having the world against their every action and notion. Treading the fine line between beautiful, loyal, sickening and morbid, Sebastian and Katherine quickly start unveiling the true motives of each other’s love, allowing the audience to see that passion, physical lust and deep-rooted longing and desire are very well the driving force of a tainted love between two very inexperienced and uneducated people, especially when it comes to the subject of love. There is no point, at any moment in Lady Macbeth where the depictions of Katherine’s and Sebastian’s love affair are beautiful or attractive, actually, the opposite is easily said, where when each of these lovers are together, a truly grotesque display of affection can easily be felt.

While Lady Macbeth is by no means an awful film, events and moments in the film are quite disturbing and awful indeed. The loss of innocence can be seen throughout each frame; the troubling interpretation of a protagonist in the film is quite unsettling and most of all, sometimes, the film seems to drive plot and its narrative, all too conveniently.

While Oldrody’s first feature film will surely be discussed and studied in academic settings for many years to come, the film begs many questions of femininity that, while it may be understood before even watching the film, can be questioned once the film’s credit’s roll.