Macbeth (2015)
Directed by Justin Kurzel
StudioCanal, 113 minutes, R (violence, brief sexuality)
★★★★
I’ve noted this before. Though it horrifies several of my friends and relatives, Shakespeare doesn’t make my heart sing. I love all things Scottish, but I recall a three-hour plus production of Macbeth that was so turgid it made me want to sneak out the back and grab a plate of haggis. I was thus recently surprised to enjoy the 2015 movie version of Macbeth. I’m sure a lot of that had to do with the fact that director Justin Kurzel pared it down to under two hours.
It also had plenty to do with Michael Fassbinder in the title role. He was so intense that he made me believe in what were arguably overly abrupt transitions in his moods and motives. (Hey, you’ve got cut somewhere!) I was also surprised that French actress Marion Cotillard pulled off Lady Macbeth. Her English was very good and she was excellent as a manipulative temptress and villainess.
For those who don’t know, Macbeth is set in 11th century Scotland. Kurzel doesn’t have to do much more than aim his camera at the rugged hills and moors of the Isle of Skye to convey the wildness and primitive conditions of the day. His characters brave the wet, the mud, the blood, the battle scars, and the close-to-the-margins living that marked Scotland at the tail end of what is sometimes labeled the Dark Ages. It’s not a particularly accurate term, though it suggests the semi-tribal nature of authority. In theory, Duncan (David Thewlis) is King of the Scots, but he serves by nature of having defeated a pretender and only so long as he can keep ambitious thanes (land-grant nobles) at bay.
Macbeth is known for the role of its three witches accompanied by a small girl akin to Greek oracles who utter vague prophecies. Courtesy of Macbeth’s valor in a battle in which he loses his son, Duncan has just defeated a recent challenger and executes the old Thane of Cawdor for his treasonous alliance with Norsemen. Duncan bestows the title of Cawdor upon Macbeth. The latter grows troubled, though, by the witches’ proclamation that Macbeth will be king and his friend Banquo (Paddy Considine) the father of kings plural. The implication is that Macbeth’s line will not inherit the throne.
That and some steamy seduction are all that Lady Macbeth needs to manipulate her husband into killing Duncan and assuming the throne. Pro tip: If you’re going to kill a king, don’t make Macduff (Sean Harris), the powerful Thane of Fife suspect you, or allow the king’s eldest son Malcolm (Jack Raynor) to slip off to England to raise an army. Before you know it, you have to kill a lot of people, including Macduff’s entire family and, eventually, send assassins competent enough to dispatch your old friend Banquo, the Thane of Lochaber, but not swift enough to keep his son Fleance from fleeing.
Things like that can drive you crazy and there’s nothing like a mad king to bring out the long swords. Lady Macbeth tries to keep her husband focused but when she too starts to lose her royal marbles, you can bet the pewter that things won’t go well. Plus, those bloody witches insist on uttering non-specific prophecies that provide no solace whatsoever. There three twists toward the end before none of Lady Macbeth’s damned spots will come out. There’s never a stain stick when you need one.
Okay, I’m being cheeky. I really did like this production. It had the right balance of skilled theatre actors–Considine, Elizabeth Debicki (Lady Macduff), David Hayman (Lord Lennox)–and film/TV stars such as Cotillard, Fassbinder, Sean Harris, and Reynor to mix both dignity and thrills into the production. To be sure, it doesn’t have the skillful theatrics of the Laurence Olivier/Vivien Leigh production, but even those who’ve never seen Macbeth know the famed soliloquys, hence Fassbinder and Cotillard don’t have to match anyone else to be perfectly competent at delivering them. Kurzel’s use of Northumberland’s Bamburgh Castle adds another dose of sparseness to a play that, at heart, is about ambition, murder, and lust for power for rather thin gain. Did I mention it’s only 113 minutes?
Rob Weir
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