Macbeth

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Day 327 of 365 of my year long challenge Week 47: From Stage to Screen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Growing up in an age where adaptations of Shakespeare's works are few and far between, and further again in quality, I've never quite grown up with a definitive version of any of them. The Lion King may just be as close as it gets. Fortunately, Justin Kurzel, Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard have come along to remedy that with not only an utterly amazing adaptation, they have also produced one of the most beautiful and impressive films of the last few years. This Macbeth stays close to the original play with Fassbender's Scottish king descending into madness in his hunt for power. At his side, egging him on is his Lady (Cotillard) and together they make a fine showing of power, despair and guilt. There are no two ways about it, Fassbender is simply amongst the best of his generation and here he puts on a performance for the ages. The film takes on the bold task of using Shakespeare's own dialogue and even if one struggles to keep up wth it at times, it never sounds out of place or unnatural coming from Fassbender. He seems aware of the legacy of the character and doesn't shy away from it but quietly embraces it as he puts his own spin on the character. With a sombre melancholy and growing, desperate paranoia, Fassbender's Macbeth is a man scarred from war who, although bodily present, never quite returned. A soldier through and through, Fassbender's imbues the film with a raw and pained intensity that forces every other element to rise up and match him. Most impressively, Marion Cotillard does just that. Her Lady Macbeth is every bit the temptress and Eve to Macbeth's Adam but she's also a more flawed, believable and sympathetic character than I've ever imagined. Cotillard's performance is just as powerful as her co-stars but she fills it with a more knowing and self-aware solemnity. This is quiet power on display and she manages to challenge everything Macbeth stands for. More importantly, Cotillard's Lady Macbeth also challenges what we've come to expect of the character. We don't always feel for her but we come to sympathise with her and even feel for her as the toll of her actions rests heavy on her soul. While these two undoubtedly steal the show, it would be remiss of me to not mention David Thewlis brief appearance as King Duncan, Sean Harris' intense portrayal of Macduff, or Paddy Considine's stoic presence as Banquo. Between the three of them, the world of Macbeth is more evenly populated by fantastic performances. Though brief, limited or quiet in their screentime, the three men bring more humanity and believability to their characters than I would typically have expected. As surprising, intense and impressive as the complex and authentic characters in this medieval Scotland are, there is little that can compare to the striking beauty of this film. Kurzel directs a film that sheds all signs of its stage origins and creates a Scotland that is as alive and complex as its characters. Even the most standard shot within the film is beautifully put together but it's in the money shots that Kurzel really shines. Macbeth seems permanently coated in a subdued and subduing fog that rolls over mountains and open plains. In and amongst all this fog, Kurzel creates intensely atmospheric moments that showcase Shakespeare's various monologues and action. From the Lord and his manic monologues and slow-motion fights to the Lady, her schemes and her grief-stricken repentance, Kurzel and his cinematographer, Adam Arkapaw, wastes no opportunity to fill the screen with colour, atmosphere and striking imagery. I must also profess my love for the moody soundtrack that weaves its way through the film and under the skins of our broken King. I feel in love with this long before seeing the film and have since listened to it countless times. It's long drawn strings and thudding drums set the tone so well and reflect perfectly the mind of Macbeth. With every element, Justin Kurzel has created arguably the definitive film depiction of Macbeth. Stunning cinematography compliments a strikingly realised world populated by intense and complex characters. At no point does Macbeth lose its power and at no point does Fassbender or Cotillard go too far in creating powerful and intense imaginings of Macbeth and his Lady. I'm excited for their next outing together but til then, I'm more than content to enjoy this broken and grieving King.