Macbeth

The atmosphere is the real star of this new screen version of Shakespeare's classic tragedy, in which Michael Fassbender's ambitious Scottish thane and Marion Cotillard's manipulative Lady Macbeth (not to mention the Bard's text) play second fiddle to the graphic-novel mood of gloom, blood, and fatalism favored by director Justin Kurzel. Still, the film does possess interesting elements, the most intriguing being its focus on father-son relationships. Macbeth begins with a scene in which the central couple presides over the funeral of an infant (presumably theirs), and next turns to the death of a boy—either Macbeth's older son or a favored squire to whom he's become a surrogate father—during the initial battle sequence. Later, the narrative centers not only on Duncan (David Thewlis) and his son Malcolm (Jack Reynor), but also on Banquo (Paddy Considine) and his young son Fleance (Lochlann Harris)—the latter taking up the sword to avenge his murdered father at the close. It also shows the fiery execution of Macduff's (Sean Harris) children along with his wife—a fire motif that continues in the red hue that is added to the final reel, as Macduff sets aflame the timbers his soldiers are carrying from Birnam Wood to confront Macbeth. While these interpretive touches are admittedly provocative, this Macbeth remains a lugubriously grim affair, with much of the text whispered or mumbled, often against montages of extraneous visuals. Fassbender brings a leonine gruffness to Macbeth but doesn't convey the character's emotional descent, while neither he nor Cotillard bring much poetry to the verse. Overall, this feels more like Kurzel's Macbeth than Shakespeare's. Still, it should be considered a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a Q&A with star Michael Fassbender (20 min.), a “making-of” featurette (8 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven Shakespeare adaptation.] (F. Swietek)