MACBETH

The craft on display here is beyond reproach. Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw is responsible for the remarkable visuals for ‘Snowtown’, ‘Animal Kingdom’, ‘Lore’ and ‘True Detective’, but his work here on ‘Macbeth’ is possibly his finest yet. What sets this adaptation apart is how it embraces cinema as opposed to simply shooting the play, and Arkapaw is heavily responsible for that. The photography in this film is staggering, dark and textured and shockingly modern, especially when combined with the incredible medieval production design from Fiona Crombie. Kunzel directs with a tight first, always holding the film back from overblowing with emotion or sentiment. Everything about this film is taut and contained, and while this occasionally makes for some unsatisfying moments and an exhausting viewing experience, at other times it falls into the sublime.

As you would expect, the performances are exceptional. Fassbender is a powerful Macbeth, intensely masculine and powerful when we meet him, and unnervingly broken as his madness sets in. Cotillard though is something else entirely - a breathtaking Lady Macbeth, impossibly complex and detailed. Watching her chew and savour Shakespeare’s text is one of the most arousing delights of cinema this year. You simply can’t take your eyes off her. Together, they form a powerhouse team brimming with chemistry and danger, each pushing the other further and further. The supporting cast are likewise excellent, especially Paddy Considine as Macbeth’s best friend Banquo, the first to see the rot setting in, and Sean Harris as Macduff, who suffers the most at the sword of Macbeth’s madness.

With all the pieces so beautifully in place though, is this the definitive ‘Macbeth’? Well... not quite. There’s something amiss about Kurzel’s vision, though it isn’t entirely clear what that actually is. Perhaps the unrelenting bleakness of the film is ultimately too much to take, even if there are moments in the film that could not be more perfect. I left my first viewing a tad bewildered, unsure what I felt, and even though I left my second far more satisfied and engaged with it, there was still something missing. This kind of overwhelming darkness worked so beautifully in ‘Snowtown’, but maybe it’s just a bit much here. Maybe more light and shade could have made this ‘Macbeth’ all the more powerful.

That said, if it isn’t definitive, Justin Kurzel’s ‘Macbeth’ is still one of the best. There are moments in this film that still haunt me, images impossible to shake off. ‘Macbeth’ is probably Shakespeare’s finest work, and what Kurzel, his cast and crew have done is take everything that makes it a masterpiece and adapted it beautifully into the language of cinema. It leaves you breathless, broken and disturbed, but that’s what ‘Macbeth’ should do. There’s no finer examination of the dark bile that courses through the human soul, and this remarkable film lays it out for us to witness in all its bloody beauty.