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
21
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