Macbeth

Dir: Justin Kurzel

2015

****

One of theatre's favourite critics, the late great Kenneth Tynan once said that no actor has ever really succeeded in portraying Macbeth because the character shrinks from a complex figure into a cowering thug. He later contradicted his claim by suggested that only Laurence Olivier had 'shook hands with greatness' regarding the part, which was high praise indeed given the two men disliked each other greatly at the time (they later became good friends and colleagues). As good as Olivier may have been and as much as I trust Tynan (the first person to have ever said the word 'F**k' on British television) I have seen two actors play the part convincingly; Patrick Stewart in Rupert Goold's Stalinist reworking in London's West End in 2007 and now Michael Fassbender in Justin Kurzel's radiant film adaptation. Stewart's performance was magnificent but the character wasn't Macbeth in the purist sense, neither is Fassbender's really but it is closer to the original. I think what is key to his performance, and indeed the performance as a whole, is in how he portrays the character as a haunted man. The set up helps, Kurzel's version introduces the character as somewhat of a disjointed and impulsive man who is led by his subconscious, he is haunted but is also the ghost. The anguish, desperation, pain and dread in his eyes is electric throughout, his performance is one of the best I've seen in years. The role of Lady Macbeth is equally important in getting right and Marion Cotillard more than did it justice. I know the story and the character and yet her delivery made it somewhat unpredictable, like I was watching it for the first time again. I can only imagine that both actors Oscar nominations got lost in the post but both performances are above awards. The supporting cast is also impressive although the mix of professional and amateur can be a little jarring at times. Paddy Considine, David Thewlis and Sean Harris in particular are outstanding and bring the realism that the film requires but whenever one of the amateur actors delivers a line it doesn't quite work, it feels real but only in the sense that it is a real person in the film reading the script. There is a similar problem with the film's visuals. For the most part it is nothing short of stunning but the fancy editing, long exposure and sped-up/slowed down effects can be a little distracting, a reminder that you are watching a film just as you'd become lost in the story. I'm not sure what the point of realism is when you splash fantasy all over it, surely leaving the fantasy element until the very end would have been more effective but that's just my opinion. The visuals, as beautiful as they were, became a bit predictable. It's a couple of tweaks short of a masterpiece, an amazing adaptation with some criminally overlooked performances.