Wrong, wrong, wrong!

Rating: 5/10 (28 August 2018)

The power and the majesty of Shakespeare's plays is in the language. Why then produce a film version where the dialogue is muttered, uttered in a monotone, or pronounced in accents almost impenetrable, such that the viewer is struggling to catch even the most famous speeches?
The wonder of it is that there is anything left, but the heavy mood and horror of the tale does capture attention. The actors all have powerful presences and retain their dignity throughout the overdone face-smearing and dripping gore. I can only conclude that they did as they were directed. I was just longing for someone to break out, lift their voices, and utter their speeches in traditionally round, stentorian tones - I would have cheered. Failing this, there was nothing to lift the heart.
I can see that no expense was spared and it is in many ways a high class production. I just ask WHY it was done at all. Did the producers just trade on famous names (starting with Shakespeare), or see it as an opportunity for horror and violence? They obviously didn't value the play as such, as they didn't preserve much of what makes it great. I'm not a purist as regards the plays, but they do have a stage quality which is lost with too much "realism". Here the baby has gone out with the bathwater (or was it burned at the stake?)