As a silent film, Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth would be the best adaptation of the Shakespeare play, but as a talkie, the dissonance of the leading Scottish couple’s Irish and French accent was a distraction that I could not overcome in spite of my love for Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Kurzel’s Macbeth is visually stunning, but after 1 hour 26 minutes, I kind of mentally checked out.
I’ve unintentionally seen all (but one) of Kurzel’s films: The Snowtown Murders, the earlier film, which I loved despite its disturbing subject matter, and Assassin’s Creed, his most recent film, which I thought was dull as dirt and overblown, but ultimately unimaginative and severely misconceived execution of a solid story idea despite having a compelling cast and excellent production values. Macbeth falls somewhere in the middle. Like Assassin’s Creed, I found myself annoyed with the characters, and because I have not thought about Macbeth since high school, I can’t say for certain whose fault it is: Shakespeare or Kurzel. For example, the violent undertones of the Macbeths’ relationship seemed odd. Also chicks don’t get squeamish over the sight of blood per se. How do the characters know that they are witches? If one minute, you’re theoretically cool with your own kid to get some power, then I don’t entirely buy that burning a family would keep you awake at night.
All of Kurzel’s films share a common thread: socially acceptable violence ultimately leads to dangerous consequences. Initially killing is seen as good when it occurs on the battlefield because it is in service to society or the establishment, but when it is a tool used to fulfill personal ambition, it is viewed negatively. The presence of children and teenage boys among grown men during violent confrontations suggests a psychological grooming akin to child abuse that eventually ends with someone like Macbeth. Kurzel was aiming for a depiction of PTSD, and I think that it works. Also watching this version of Macbeth made me realize that popular TV shows like Boss and House of Cards owe Shakespeare some coins. The speech the compares the king’s life as a temple reminded me of the Bible and the Spirit leaving the temple.
I watched Kurzel’s Macbeth soon after Pilgrimage, and both films allow the landscape to fill in the holes left by the script or the performances. The rough and cold landscapes reflects the psychological profile of its characters, but only the performances of Sean Harris and an unrecognizable Paddy Considine fully captured my attention as equally as the cinematography. I think that Kurzel figures if he keeps giving us a shirtless Fassbender, his audience will be happy, and he is not entirely wrong. For those of you only interested in gawking at the thespian, fast forward about forty minutes. You’re welcome.
Kurzel’s Macbeth is a visual masterpiece, but with the sound turned on, it drags the minute that the dialogue starts. A certain je ne sais quoi is missing from the film, which left me feeling vaguely dissatisfied. It falls short in terms of emotional resonance, but does so magnificently.