Review of Macbeth (2015) by Peter M — 10 Oct 2015

Admittedly, I love Shakespeare. Any faithful adaptation brought to the big screen will have my backing. So, it comes as no surprise that Justin Kurzel's Macbeth lived up to the trailer and the great cast and really delivered.

It's a barren, rugged and yet beautiful Macbeth. The exquisite direction from Justin Kurzel allows every frame to be soaked in the harshness of both the landscapes and the performances, aided all the while by the vivid cinematography from Adam Arkapaw. It all helps set a gritty tone from the outset that gets under the fingernails, heightening the famous dialogue and visceral violence throughout.

The entire cast is fantastic, each resisting temptation to over-egg their performances, and instead delivering a uniformly intense execution of the Scottish play. Fassbender and Cotillard in particular display an exhausting yet taut slip into madness, whilst Sean Harris is fine as the quietly vengeful McDuff.

Jed Kurzel's score adds to the sweeping, almost grand beauty of the film, which really helps remind you that you're witnessing something timeless. As we bowl toward a red-soaked finale, you can't help but be impressed by a modern telling that in other hands could have gone all so wrong.

Fan of Shakespeare or not, this is a visual treat if nothing else. One of the best films released this year, in my opinion.