I am reliably informed that this new adaptation is extremely faithful to the original 17th century play. The plot hardly needs introduction, but here it is none-the-less. It is the Dark Ages in Scotland, and the land is in the midst of a civil war. King Duncan's most trusted general is Macbeth, a man who we see at the start of the film driven to the edges of insanity by the brutality of war and the loss of his sons. When at the end of his latest victory, 3 witches appear to him on the edges of a misty moor to prophesise his future as king, Macbeth finds himself lost to the temptation of power.
Macbeth requires no analysis by me, many much more well-informed scholars over the years have analysed the play to within an inch of its life. Personally for me, this is always the Shakespeare play that I found to be the most accessible and interesting as a teenager learning about The Bard. The story is accessible and character-driven, resonates in the modern world and is uncompromising in its brutality. Michael Fassbender is a great choice of actor for the lead role, his depth of intensity lends itself extremely well to it. From the very start he plays Macbeth as a man for whom the constant churn of war and death have left him soulless and hollow. Marion Cotillard plays Lady Macbeth, less overtly the 'bad guy' here than she is traditionally played - again she seems to be driven by numbness and sadness at the loss of humanity afforded by the bleak Scottish highlands over which the power struggle is played out.
And what about those Scottish Highlands? Filmed off the west coast of Scotland, the land is a character all of its own here. The rugged hill-tops are shot with dark reddish filters that create a tone of foreboding and doom - almost as if the human participants are driven to their fates by their dark environs. Perhaps the 3 witches playing as trickster gods are the physical embodiment of the landscape, tormenting their inhabitants and showing them the human folly of thinking they can 'own' the land.
Fans of Shakespeare will find a lot of interest in this adaptation. It is very faithful to the source material while at the same time adding an interesting spin to the motivations of Macbeth and his oft-vilified wife. People who aren't familiar with Shakespeare might - as is ever the criticism of the original plays in a modern context - find individual lines of dialogue hard to follow, but everyone is talking English, and you just need to get used to the idea that you wont understand everything, just as long as you get the gist it's fine. Sort of like listening to a foreign language. Macbeth is a classic for a very good reason, take some time to check out this excellent modern adaptation.
