Macbeth

Justin Kurzel, UK/France/USA, 113 mins. Certificate: 15

“All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” The greeting of the Three Witches on the battlefield define and seal Macbeth’s fate, transforming the brave Thane of Glamis into a traitor, a murderer and a bloodthirsty tyrant, aided (or perhaps guided) by the enigmatic Lady Macbeth. But a few good men and former friends and war comrades, will seek justice.

As the worldwide celebrations of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death commence, the Sydenham Film Club is joining in with the screening of the latest and one of the most ambitious cinematic adaptations of a Shakespearean play.
Directed by Justin Kurzel and starring the stunning Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard as the murderous, power-thirsty couple, last year’s adaptation of “the Scottish tragedy” is a visual and artistic masterpiece, with some modern touches (which may prove a bit controversial for some of the “purists”) and the raw, brutal but wildly beautiful Scottish Highlands as its real protagonist and the backdrop to a story of magic, fate, betrayal and revenge.
Nominated for the Cannes Film Festival top prize at its premiere last year and, in 2016, for 6 British Independent Film Awards, it is not to be missed!

Reviews

★★★★ “This cinematic “Macbeth” possesses a terrible beauty, evoking fear, sadness, awe and confusion. Presented with the aesthetic of a dark comic book, it’s also a mournful masterpiece, rendering Shakespeare’s spectacle with all the sorrow and majesty that it deserves.” Michael O’Sullivan,  www.washingtonpost.com/

3/4★★★ “If you haven’t seen Marion Cotillard play Lady Macbeth, you really haven’t seen the role inhabited with the glorious fire and ice it needs to haunt your dreams. The great French actress takes a torch to standard portrayals and rides the role to glory. It’s supposed to be bad luck to say the title of Shakespeare’s Scottish play, but this Macbeth (there, I said it)  thrives on breaking rules.” Peter Travers,  www.rollingstone.com/

“With his Macbeth, Mr. Fassbender, who routinely shakes hands with greatness in films that don’t remotely do the same, produces a man whose anguish eventually becomes a powerful counterpoint to his deeds, partly because he’s already dead by the time he utters his first word. Mr. Fassbender gives you a reason to see this “Macbeth,” although the writing isn’t bad, either.” Manohla Dargis, www.nytimes.com