Macbeth (2015)

Adaptations of Shakespeare's work rarely translate to the screen effectively. There's any number of reasons, however most of those that have worked have done so because they've turned some elements of the text on its head or placed it in unfamiliar environs. Ralph Fiennes' take on Coriolanus placed the story somewhere in a modern-day Balkan state, complete with quasi-fascist imagery and journalist Jon Snow acting as one of the chorus. 10 Things I Hate About You, for example, took The Taming of the Shrew and turned it into an enjoyable teen comedy. Macbeth, likewise, has been transited into Samurai Japan with Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood.

With Justin Kurzel's take on the story, it is - to a degree - a straight adaptation of the text. The film opens with a dramatic text crawl that tells of a nation at war with itself. In a beautifully crafted scene of chaos, we see Fassbender's crazed Macbeth in full flight and charging headlong into battle against the King's enemies. The scene is replete with beautiful imagery and slow-motion of gratuitous violence and barbarism, all whilst the "Weird Sisters" look on in indifference. The film follows the original script with relative ease, however it cleverly obscures the soliloquies into characters addressing either dead bodies or, in some cases, children who do not speak. The violence of the play is brought to the fore, particularly the scene in which King Duncan meets his fate. Purists may clutch their pearls at the thought of certain characters or scenes being removed, but it's key to remember this is an adaptation, not a retelling.

Fassbender's thousand-yard stare is evident throughout. This Macbeth is not some harried aristocrat, but a hardened warrior who very obviously has post-traumatic stress disorder. The film does a good job of allowing the play's ambiguities to come to the fore. Is Macbeth taking the crown because he wants it for his own ambition? Or is it because the previous King was too weak? Or, indeed, is it at the urging of Lady Macbeth, here played by Marion Cotillard? It's hard to know. Her performance, however, is pitch perfect. It's intriguing to note how, at the beginning, her character is the villain you expect - until she's confronted with the reality of what she's urged Macbeth to do. The desperation pushes through the flowery dialogue and we see a woman trapped and racked with regret.

All the actors - Fassbender, Cotillard, Paddy Considine as Banquo, David Thewlis as Duncan and a feral Sean Harris as Macduff - understand that the performances have to fit with Justin Kurzel's visuals. There's no need to roar and shout to the rafters because this is a film, not a play. And in that, the visuals shine through. The fog-filled highlands of Scotland sit naturally with the bleak message of the story, whilst the finale is drenched in a blood-red sun. It can come across as flashy in some places, but it's all in service to the story and adds to the atmosphere. The hallowed halls of the castle to the murky, sickly-coloured moor are gorgeous to look at and truly add the sense of foreboding throughout.The film truly embraces the savagery of the time period and remains firmly entrenched in it. Indeed, it has more in common with Kurosawa's Throne of Blood than it has with any other adaptation of the story and the psychology behind Macbeth is explored more fully than you'd expect. It's quite full-on at times, with the overbearing score and eye-watering visuals becoming almost too much, but it works with the heightened tension between the characters.

Overall, Macbeth is a brutal, violent take on a familiar story that you almost definitely won't see in any classroom.