Mad about Shakespeare update

What It’s About

This is not your English teacher’s “Macbeth.”

One of William Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedies is revitalized in Australian director Justin Kurzel’s gritty cinematic interpretation, a worthy successor to versions by Orson Welles (1948) and Roman Polanski (1971).

Kurzel (“The Snowtown Murders”) ingeniously depicts both the savagery of battle and the leading characters’ internal torment. Pared down to the essentials, the epic tale of political power, ambition, paranoia and the supernatural benefits from riveting performances by a first-rate cast and bracing camera work by Adam Arkapaw.

Set during a medieval civil war in Scotland, “Macbeth” has always conjured up an eeriness and foreboding that is heightened by the desolate, war-ravaged landscape presented here.

Oh, what a tangled web is woven as driven warrior Macbeth (Michael Fassbender) and his grief-stricken wife (Marion Cotillard) are eventually swallowed by guilt and despair.

Prophecies from three witches spark Macbeth’s lust for power, as King Duncan’s fierce general believes he is invincible, especially after the prediction of becoming Thane of Cawdor is realized. At the urging of manipulative Lady Macbeth, he slays his royal house guest (David Thewlis). Thus begins his doomed tyrannical rule, brutal vanquishing of perceived enemies, and his wife’s descent into madness.

The setting may be medieval times, but this richly textured tale of treachery, which has lasted for centuries, is invigorated for a modern era.

Performances

Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”) and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”) make every movie better by their sheer presence, and brilliantly inhabit these iconic characters. Fassbender’s intensity is matched by Cotillard’s understated eloquence.

Fassbender’s anguished “Tomorrow” soliloquy is electric, and his physicality throughout is formidable. Cotillard eschews the role’s customary histrionics to convey her evil ways, using her soulful eyes and forceful whispers instead. Her hushed, measured tone heightens the dramatic downfall.

Paddy Considine, as Macbeth’s friend Banquo, and Sean Harris, as rival Macduff, are strong, too.

What Works

The visual artistry is inspired and bold, with blood-red skies and mist rising on the expansive heath incredibly striking. The melancholy is palpable, and a dissonant score by the director’s brother, Jed Kurzel, adds a mournful quality.

What Doesn’t Work

While the sparse prose fits in this adaptation, purists may gripe, for screenwriters Todd Louiso, Michael Lesslie and Jacob Koskoff add and subtract a few key elements. It would help to be familiar with the story before viewing.

The violence is gory, and the slaughter of Macduff’s family is extremely vicious.

Nevertheless, the Scottish play is honored with this passionate, stylized revision.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 3:01 AM with the headline "Mad about Shakespeare update."