Macbeth - DVD

When I decided to find a film of "Macbeth" to purchase, I was quickly drawn to this one, since the murderous couple was played by 2 of the most talented and beautiful actors on the planet, Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. And I was not disappointed. Lady Macbeth chilled me to the bone as she called upon the spirits to "unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty". She was revved up for action before her husband was. As for Macbeth himself, he was calm and almost matter-of-fact as he first stabbed his victim with the dagger; but his facial expression and his actions increased in savagery as he continued, as if he could tear the deed itself to shreds, to make it disappear. Another element of the film that impressed me was the starkness of the outdoor scenes, of which there were many. The bleak surroundings prepare the viewer for the evils to come. When I read the reviews of others, I noticed 3 negative things that I ignored when I made my choice. The first was that the film was generally so dark that it was hard to see what was happening. I have to agree; much of the film was dark but I did not find this to be a disadvantage. The second criticism was that the actors mumbled their lines, making it difficult to understand what was said. Again, I agree. The actors kept it extremely low-key. Even the witches were surprisingly quiet. But I take issue with the third negative, that the subtitles did not help. They absolutely did. They were easy to see and easy to read, and they made up for the low-key speech. The beauty of Shakespeare's language was not lost. All things considered, I thought this film was excellent. It helps if you already know the story, but this is true of just about every historical drama I have seen.

I haven't seen all the Macbeth film versions, but it's hard to imagine anything better than this. The costumes, staging, filmography, etc on top of the stunning acting... transporting!

I had low expectations about this movie but was pleasantly surprised: it was very good (great in fact for the first half and then trailing off a bit in the second half).Am not sure what a PTSD interpretation implies. A traditional interpretation of Shakespeare's Macbeth runs along the lines: "let not the world see my dark desires" (moral sickness as the root problem). No matter Justin Kurzel and Michael Fassbender's inspiration for their Macbeth, the film still works along the lines of an ever quickening descent into the abyss (moral to the traditional and my way of viewing it; physical, I assume, for their way of viewing it; but either way the actions of the play are the same).The film is extremely streamlined. If one is familiar with the play many of your favorite lines and entire scenes are likely cut. But such streamlining speeds the blows of terrible deeds and the presence of a soul lost to the dark desires fills the landscape (this film captures the mood of dread presence better than any other---this is Kurzel's great success).An essential insight which Shakespeare has managed to dramatize is that no sooner has Duncan been murdered than the thought occurs to Macbeth that he has stained his soul and his mind for the crown only so Banquo's heirs will, in the end, hold the crown. Unless Banquo's heirs are wiped out, Macbeth believes, in the long run, his actions will have been for nothing.This nothing culminates in the Tomorrow speech which embeds Shakespeare's insight. A life emptied of all goodness, a life spent in pursuit of money, power, reputation, or pleasure is a "tale told by an idiot" and is truly not a life worth living.

While this adaptation of the play takes some serious liberties, every change has a purpose and actually makes sense. These changes will leave those familiar with the play thinking; it's almost as if you're playing a game of chess with the director as you try to figure out why he has made each change and what each one means for the production as a whole. The questions left unanswered by the play ("I have given suck...", yet the Macbeths are childless and the question of how Banquo's sons will be kings if the throne has been restored to Duncan's bloodline) are attended to with insight and creativity (and even a bit of sophisticated creepiness at the end). The acting is purposefully human, rendering the unreal real, and the over-acting of Lady Macbeths of the past is a welcome omission. I am pretty sure my boyfriend Will Shakespeare would be pleased that someone finally took the time to read carefully and ponder deeply the complexities of this little play before filming it.

This is the film adaptation that Macbeth deserves. The acting is superb and the cinematography is gorgeous from opening scene to credits. The film is very subdued in a good way. The scenery, battle scenes, and even the acting is reserved and pays homage to its theatrical roots. The only area this affects is, of course, the dialogue. Film allows the actors to be much more hushed or have more authentic accent. The only drawback is that the poetical structure of Shakespeare is written to be spoken to the back rows of a theater. I had to put the subtitles on to make sure I didn't miss anything. Other than that slight detail, I'm glad they chose to keep the original dialogue (although the full play is not portrayed). The music score is spot on as well and lays silent when need be. The director trusts the actor's ability to move the viewer and doesn't rely on swelling music to toy with our emotions.