I thought this film was great. A tour de force. The cinematography and editing were top notch. I couldn't have asked for more from a film than what was given in this latest rendition of the Shakespeare classic. Being that I'm a great fan of Shakespeare; I've seen most of the adaptations of his works into film and of course I've seen Shakespeare in Love which I adore. I also go to a Shakespeare festival in the Summer not far from where I live.
The one draw back was the dialogue. I got most of it. There were parts that I didn't get because they were spoken at a low tone and in Elizabethan language which is difficult to grasp even at a normal volume. But I still got most of the dialogue and what I heard was pure poetry. I was in awe of the use of language and metaphor. Just great..
The battle scenes rivaled the best adaptations of battle scenes in a Shakespeare play or in any other battle scenes like Braveheart. The use of slow motion was enough to take my breathe away. And when it sped up I was thoroughly entertained. I was glued to the screen I didn't want to look away.
Fassbender was great. I've seen him in several films the last of which was 12 Years a Slave and he really brings the drama. His portrayal of the deeply psychotic Macbeth was worthy of awards. So was Marion Cotillard. She was brilliant as Lady Macbeth.
It was definitely an update and improvement on Roman Polanski's film from the 70s. There is also Kurosawa's Japanese adaptation of Macbeth for comparison. All three films are great. Yet it is Kurzel's latest rendering that raises the standard for filmmakers who dare to take on Shakespeare.
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