Macbeth
Directed by Justin Kurzel
- drama
- war
The story
Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.
What it’s like
Smoky, sepia-drenched gloom with a bruised, desaturated palette: mud-brown and ash-grey landscapes, torchlight flaring orange against near-black stone, and slow-motion battle sequences that bloom in smears of blood and dust. Justin Kurzel's camera leans in close on faces, lingering in long, deliberate takes, while the score is a low, droning pulse of strings and percussion that swells and then drops into eerie near-silence. The sound design favours wind, breath, clanking mail and the crackle of fire over dialogue, so the world feels heavy and tactile. The vibe is grim, claustrophobic and ritualistic, best suited to a late-night, lights-off viewing when you want to be fully absorbed in a dark, handsome dread. Pacing is measured and often hypnotic, with the emotional register sitting in grief and corrosion; the central arc follows a proud man and his wife as their ambition hollows them out and they unravel in isolation. Violence is frequent and visceral, with stabbings, a brutal battlefield and a graphic, bloody killing; it is intense rather than gratuitous, with dread and sorrow doing much of the work. Not for anyone seeking something gentle. Made for viewers who enjoy stark period drama, Shakespearean language, and moody, painterly cinematography.
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