I see thee yet, in form as palpable; As this which now I write

Shot of opening battle

In Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel's sophomore effort, he tackles one of The Bard's most referenced plays, Macbeth.  While popular, The Scottish Play is not as produced as, say, Hamlet, whether on stage or film.  In fact, the only two major recognised efforts committed to film have been from Orson Welles in 1948, and Roman Polanski, just a few decades later, but well over four decades ago in 1971.  It's a bit telling that no notable filmmaker has touched it since.  And, while both had mixed receptions, views of them have improved somewhat over time.  Still, the play itself has a structure that just doesn't seem to be conducive to film like, say, Hamlet, which features a dynamic hero and more complex plotting.  At the end of the day, we have a play where witches warn a talented general that he shall be king, for which he only needs passionate, but quick prodding from his wife to make happen.  Once he kills his ruler, he slowly descends into madness and starts murdering everyone around him.  It's one of Shakespeare's shortest plays, and, for its ambitions, could arguably stand for additional development.  Conveying the thirst of both Lord and Lady M is a tall order considering how little backstory there is.

Macbeth at its core is about the hunger for power, the lengths some will go to achieve it, and the effect that it has on the human condition.  The title character chose to accept the prophecies of the weird sisters because of coincidence mixed with self-entitlement, failing to demonstrate even a hint of skepticism.  Without regard to measuring the impact of their clairvoyance or what effect it would have on those around him, he simply accepted it as fate, and with a little push from his spouse, he then chooses an active role in fulfilling the most self-serving of the predictions as if taken under a spell and stripped of all agency.  It's a conceptually rich play, but the plot mechanics and character development betray it of its fullest potential.

Still, Kurzel takes the source material, and trims it into a visceral experience.  He immediately shows how game he is with his opening shot of the child and legacy the Macbeths will never be able to produce, which isn't overtly discussed in the text, but implied.  Like Polanski, Kurzel efficiently turns monologues into voiceovers laid over rich imagery, both epic and intimate.  A battle scene is interspersed with meditative moments slowed down to almost a pause in a nice marriage between reality and mysticism.  Fassbender is solid in the role, though there are moments, perhaps directorial choices, that seems a bit off (i.e. when Duncan's dead body is found).  Cotillard, while not doing a Scottish accent, humanises Lady Macbeth, but isn't allowed much of a final bow, with most of her closing monologue filmed in closeup.  The witches here are blank-faced, sobering, and unassuming.  There is nothing broad or saucy about their presence, which wouldn't have tonally matched what Kurzel was going for, but certainly takes out some of the flavour of the play (kind of unsexy Game of Thrones).  Kurzel's brother Jed provides the funereal score that helps carry along the story.  He also created the iconic score for the recent Slow West.  Often beautiful to admire and absorb, director Kurzel has displayed quite a command with technique in what could have easily been a hot medieval mess.

It marshall'st the way he was going