by Isabella C.
MACBETH
Macbeth, the famous tragedy that we all know, written by Shakespeare, has finally arrived
at the cinema, as a film.
Released in 2015 under the supervision of the director Justin Kurzel, it is shot in the
stunning landscapes of Scotland.
The film starts with the funeral of the child of Lady Macbeth and her husband, who are
suffering for their loss. Macbeth, who is supporting King Duncan in the civil war against
the combined forces of Norway and Ireland, sees three women, through the bloodshed which seem supernatural apparitions.
Macbeth wins the battle and on his way home is approached by the three witches who
greet him as Thane of Cawdor and future king, and hail his friend, Banquo, as father of
Kings.
The first prophecy is immediately fulfilled and a deep, ambitious desire starts to invade
Macbeth's heart; doubtful, he sends a message ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth.
When king Duncan comes to Inverness to thank Macbeth for his victory, Lady Macbeth
persuades her husband to kill the king.
Following the murder of Duncan in his sleep, the king's son, Malcolm, flees the country
and Macbeth is made king.
However, his friend Banquo is becoming suspicious and Macbeth sends three assassins to
murder him and his son, Fleance.
Haunted by the ghost of Banquo, who appears to him during a celebrative dinner,
Macbeth consults the witches again: they tell him to beware Macduff, the Thane of Fife,
but also reassure him that “no man of woman born” can do him no harm, and that his
kingdom will survive until Birnam Wood moves to the hill of Dunsinane castle.
Knowing that Mcduff has fled to England, Macbeth orders his soldiers to kill his wife and
children: they are captured and burned at the stake.
Meanwhile, plagued by the horror of what she had done, Lady Macbeth returns to her
village and laments in the church. She sees her hands covered in blood and the ghost of
her dead child. Then she walks among the hills where the witches are waiting for her.
Macduff wants to get revenge: he goes back to Scotland with the help of the English army
and he sets Birnam Wood on fire, making the third prophecy come true.
Macbeth, who has to fight Macduff, is confident that he will win but Macduff tells him
that he was ‘ripped from his mother's womb’, so in a certain sense “he was not of woman
born”. Eventually, Macduff kills Macbeth and the witches who were observing the scene
disappear.
In the last scene of the film, we see Malcolm becoming king while Banquo's son finally
takes Macbeth's sword.
First thing we can notice is the use of language: the script maintains the writing in verses,
and only sometimes, during the narrative parts the actors speaks in prose through
dialogues. This can result in a rather difficult comprehension of the deep meaning of the
speeches, especially the monologues, because we aren't accustomed to hear verses, so it's
better to know the general plot of the story before seeing the film.
Like already stated, the entire movie is set in Scotland and this choice allows us to focus on
the story and the development of the main themes better.
These latter are various and interwoven: the ones that we can seize immediately are the
effects of ambition on men, remorse, guilt, kingship and the supernatural, the presence of
Evil, the idea of Fate as opposed to the idea of Free will, the lust for power.
The main characters are Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth.
The first character - performed by Michael Fassbender - epitomizes the effects that ambition
has on men. He is represented as a worth man, a heroic fighter always on battlefield for
his king...until lust for power caught him. At that point, confused he searches for the
support of his wife: from this point of view, we can see that at the beginning he is weak,
he's undecided between good and evil.
Macbeth is a divided self. He accomplishes fervid actions - he is convinced that he can
avoid the last prophecy, he feels invincible. He undergoes moments of guilt - when he's
going to kill Duncan we can perceive his indecision, and after the deed he's torn by the
sense of guilt, and in fact, he prays God to forgive him – and absolute pessimism. After his
wife’s death, as his world begins to fall apart, he realizes the essential meaninglessness
and absurdity of life, which he describes as “a tale told by an idiot , full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing”.
The other main character, complex in her psychology is Lady Macbeth, performed by
Marion Cotillard. In the original shakspearean play, Lady Macbeth had to be ruthless, at
first, stronger than her husband, willing to commit horrible murders, and then she fell
victim of guilt and madness (whereas her husband grows in cruelty).
However, in my opinion in this case the actress hasn't been able to identify herself in such
a complicated role. She doesn't seem to have an internal turmoil: she seems rather fragile,
sweet, a woman broken by the loss of her only child.
In fact, in one of the last scenes when, nearly insane, Lady Macbeth believes to see her
baby, we feel her desperation. The perspective of the camera, that focuses the face of the
actress only, and the silence during her monologue, are useful instruments that highlight
the drama and the emotional state of the situation.
Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are round characters but in a different, quite opposite
way. In fact, while Macbeth at the beginning is “innocent”, and only after the first murder
he becomes ruthless, his wife, ambitious from the start, slowly goes insane because of it.
A secondary character, but still important, is King Duncan - played by Davis Thewlis. We
see him, of course only at the beginning, but we immediately understand his role, his
undisputed authority. He's obviously a positive character: he's a graceful king, he gets
involved in his subjects’ issues, contrary to Macbeth who becomes despotic.
The atmospheres of the scenes are often dark, almost gloomy - partially because the most
important episodes are developed during the night. This choice by the director is sensible
because the colours are associated with the mood and the state of mind of the characters.
In fact, dark colours highlight the tragedy. Besides when a wriggle of hope comes out, the
colours change. For instance, when Lady Macbeth decides to kill herself, we see a peaceful
mountainous landscape: a sign that maybe for her, suicide will be a relief.
A colour that is used very often is red. Apart from the scenes of battles, which are always
full of bloodshed, we see it after the murder of Duncan.
It is well-known that red is the colour of passion, in this case an irrational passion:
ambition.
Sometimes the scenes are slowed down, and we often see some repetitions, especially
during the fighting. Their purpose is to enchant the audience, convey emotions, take them
to another world.
Generally speaking, from my point of view the film can be defined as quite ‘ordinary’: it is
certainly thought-provoking because the themes treated are universal and immortal,but
not convincing at all. Some characters aren't charismatic enough and some scenes are
really too slow, and can result soporific.
Despite the fact that the sites where the film was shot are really stunning and realistic, the
special effects - too much speed, or too much slowness – tend to spoil the context.
If you're a sensitive person it can result a bit violent, but not too much.
The most fascinating parts are the monologues when we see the expressions and the
passions of the characters - Macbeth in particular is really impressive..
In conclusion I can say that maybe from some points of view the film could be a little
disappointing, but it's a story that you have to see at least once in your life, in order to
reflect about some essential aspects of human being.