Literary magazine

REVIEWS

MACBETH The 2015 Screen Adaptation THE TRADGEDY OF

O RANGE CLOUDS , BLOOD AND FLAMES FILL THE

SHOTS . The furious

SCREEN

IN

THE

OPENING

sounds and bloody images of war propel the

film forwards. Justin Kurzel’s graphic portrayal of the 12 th c clash

between Scottish thanes is interspersed with ac-

tion in slow-motion, which suggests a sense of

the supernatural from the start. The initial force of

these opening scenes is immediately juxtaposed

with widescreen aerial shots of desolate land-

scapes and isolated castles that establish the

mood of the film. Shakespeare’s tragedy traces

the ambitious warrior-nobleman’s fall. Goaded on

to regicide by his ruthless wife, the usurper Mac-

beth is embroiled in a series of murders to secure

his rule. Michael Fassbender (Macbeth) and Mari-

on Cotillard (Lady Macbeth) exude ambition and

their monotone dialogue adds to the film’s bleak

outlook.

Familiar passages from the play are reconsid-

ered. Kurzel includes a scene at the beginning of

the film in which the Macbeths bury a young son.

This helps explain the absence of the child Lady

Macbeth makes mention of later in the play and

heightens Macbeth’s lack of a living heir. Lady

Macduff’s death, portrayed on-screen as a public

execution, also helps explain the growing pub-

lic fear of Macbeth’s tyranny.

These fascinating additions, the ambitious

cinematography

and

Cottillard

and

Fassbender’s powerful portrayals of the

Macbeths all contribute to the film’s

success.

-Kaif Pathan, Year 11

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