All Hail Macbeth

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2018)

If you have ever seen a Shakespeare production, well good for you; but except for understanding the language, it does not prepare you for this ambitious Macbeth. I will include it in the first paragraph because it plays a role more important than any character, and that is our friend Atmosphere. This film utilizes what a stage production could never achieve, and it creates such a distinguished atmosphere.
Say, Mr. Gill, what exactly do you mean by atmosphere? I'm talking about mood, I'm talking about tone, I'm talking about presentation! There is a lot of fog and mist to go around, and the camera hardly moves, painting picture-like shots of characters in front of a wide background. It's so visceral and bold and unexpected. Above all, it works. It fits the puzzle beautifully with the vision in-hand.
There are plenty of smart choices, such as reducing the lines and spirit of the crazy 3 witches. Instead, they add such a mystical element that's almost taunting to the ticking and complex Macbeth. There's other noticeable changes, but before you traditionalists call foul, don't worry because it's not a change from the source like pre-good DiCaprio Romeo + Juliet is.
Okay, the film is perhaps stylish to a fault. If you recall the iconic scene in Mission: Impossible where Tom Cruise sneaks into the white room, you will remember that any sound above a whisper would trigger the alarm. It felt like (with the exception of scenes like the haunting dinner) the entire cast was set to this mode. Although it adds a coolness to many of the lines, I kind of wanted to yell at the screen just to see if the characters would yell back. Oh, and I can't imagine watching the film without the use of subtitles. And on that note, I think every Shakespeare movie is probably enhanced with subtitles to help understand the lines and think them through more thoroughly.
I don't think I have talked about makeup in movies as much as I should, so I will add it here. The battle makeup and makeup on Lady Macbeth stand out in a good way, and that is a big accomplishment to the people in that department.
Now you just know I wouldn't do a review without mention of the acting. Hey, Harry Potter fans, Lupin is in this film! Okay okay, let's talk Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Fassbender is a powerhouse actor, and I think a little more variation in voice would clean up one of Shakespeare's best characters. And one of Shakespeare's best female characters, if not the best, is played by the French Cotillard, an interesting differentiation from the rest of the Scots. Combine these two experienced actors with incredible lighting, and we're back to the atmosphere.
I must say how I was engaged for the entire film. It's impossible not to give huge credit for this Shakespeare adaptation that perhaps stands out the most from any of the movies of any of the plays. And yeah, the fighting is like Zack Snyder, but with more purpose. I don't think the opening and ending sequences could have been done better, and for the squeamish, there is enough blood to quench a vampire; but as I stated earlier, it is more meaningful and again adds to the atmosphere. If there's any way to get millenials excited about what a dead guy wrote years ago, it is through this film. And that statement could easily have its downsides, but even the shall we say sophisticated can appreciate what is done. I'd say this film is like Zack Snyder meets Gladiator meets European art, and on most notes, that is pretty good praise.
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