Macbeth

A raw and bleak hypnotic film that will forever remain out of the mainstream. Audience-averse and psychedelic, the film lyrically tells the story of Shakepeare's warrior exclusively through breathtaking cinematography, lighting and period music. Forget about a wartime historical spectacle or crowd scenes, the Kurzel brothers have gone all out. There are only a few action scenes, and most of them are shrouded in a mysterious misty shroud, or thanks to the aforementioned lighting work that creates countless breathtaking shots. The individuality of this film is impossible to deny. What is debatable, however, is to what extent this is an appropriate form of presentation of Shakespeare's legend, as in many aspects of the plot and in terms of the flow of the story, it is questionable to say the least and difficult to digest. (11/08/2015)

The best adaptation of Shakespeare for a really long time. Visually captivating, gloomy Scottish hills and verses interlaced with madness and fears. Fassbender as Macbeth and Marion Cotillard as his wife give their very best. Ambition, power, women. The age-old danger of temptation of a good man. If he succumbs, he will be damned. (02/02/2016)

Sociopaths of the verbal type (the multiple species among us) won't appreciate this film, of course; it is only for sensitive people able to cherish the celluloid language called film that takes you back to a time when stories where still told with pictures without making artistic compromises. Here, the trump card is the modest production design. It’s not about large crowds and lavish sets, but about compositions and atmosphere. In that respect, I particularly enjoyed the first half fantastically, up to the point where Macbeth is made king. The visual aspect is so unique that it doesn't really matter if the source material was written by Shakespeare or another theatrical titan. I'm genuinely curious about Assassins Creed now, because Kurzel's cinematic language is completely incompatible with the game poetics of an assassin running on rooftops and jumping into haystacks. (06/08/2016)

Shakespearean film adaptations used to fall into two groups – academically respectful and faithful to the source material (Branagh) or hysterically out of touch (Romeo+Juliet, O). But so far no one has come up with such an autonomous audiovisual treatment that envelops the entire plot in its own enclosed world of heather, fog, and smoke. Macbeth is filled with formalist shortcuts, the language of the original play is spoken by the characters, thus gaining impenetrability, and the insistent stylization culminates in a surreal conclusion that is essentially the greatest creative license over the play. It is here that Kurzel's ability to not only create images, but more importantly to think within them, can be seen. Sean Harris, in turn, steals the show. The nominations should have been flying here. I was in raptures for the entire running time. PS: I think, ironically, the greatest enjoyment of the film will be had by those who know little or nothing about Macbeth. PPS: great soundtrack! (02/23/2016)

The archaism of spoken language as a counterpoint to the language of film. Both Shakespeare and Kurzel tell their own stories, but they fit together like few others. If I hadn’t known "Macbeth" from school, the protagonists would have talked a hole into my head. However, you can take Arkapaw's images anywhere, print them on a large format and hang them in galleries. (12/07/2016)