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I almost jumped with excitement when I heard that Hollywood was planning another modern day renewal of a Shakespeare classic. My all-time favourite film has to be Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet; a dystopian, heady array of clashing neon lights and Hawaiian shirts. Luhrman’s take on the classic was a beautiful alternative to archetypal Shakespeare yet the most accurate depiction of his fiction compared to its predecessors; priding itself on a script of original dialogue. The industry’s newest venture, Macbeth, a dark twisted tale of power, is a sure fire box office hit.
Michael Fassbender is the perfect Macbeth, with malice behind his eyes he brings dominance to every scene in which he stars. Macbeth’s tortured soul, in the search for authority is his ultimate demise, haunted by the ghost of his father he slips into an insanity that he can no longer hide. His wife, Lady Macbeth played by the ever wonderful Marion Cotillard becomes the whispering method to his madness.
As Shakespeare’s shortest written tragedy, Macbeth packs a punch in a small amount of time; discussing a wide array of topics such as despair, ambition, paranoia and guilt. But why is Shakespeare’s work still so prominent in today’s society? Some would argue that it’s only popular because it has been over sensationalised and built up by popular media to have more meaning and presence than it deserves. Whereas others will describe Shakespeare’s work as revolutionary and even genius; that his work is art and should be celebrated as so. Regardless of your take on Shakespeare, there must be a reason why his work has inspired so many to adapt and represent his writing in so many different forms. A fact that even the harshest cynics would struggle to deny.
Having hit cinemas today, Macbeth has already won the hearts of many critics. Some have boldly titled it Michael Fassbender’s best work, while Robbie Collin of The Telegraph has given it 5 stars, stating: “Fassbender was born for this.” The film’s cold tones set the scene perfectly, with slow long shots of war and some incredible styling, proving that if nothing else the film should be accredited for its production values alone. One thing’s for sure, with such an impressive cast, an acclaimed director and extremely experienced producers Macbeth will be a marvel of cinematic ecstasy that will leave you wondering what took them so long.
