The Scottish Movie

It turns out that I've never seen (or read) any version of the Scottish Play (except Throne of Blood). So, to celebrate spooky season, we watched Macbeth (2015).

It starts with a battle, with Michael Fassbender as MacB defeating King Duncan's enemy. After the battle, Fassbender and Patty Considine as Banquo come upon the witches - four, because one brings a little girl. I assume the witched are Maiden, Mother (with Daughter) and Crone. They predict that MacBeth will be Thane of Cawdor and King, but will not start a lineage. Banquo will be father of kings.

When MacB returns from the wars, he finds that King Duncan, David Thewlis, has executed the Thane of Cawdor and gives the title to MacB. So the prediction comes partly true. Now it's time to kill Duncan. Although the king has selected Malcolm as heir, Lady Macbeth (Marion Cotillard) and a ghost urge him on. He does the deed, and kind of freaks out. Malcolm sees which way the wind is blowing and takes of. In his absence, Macbeth is proclaimed king.

There are some more murders, some more witches' prophecies, and more ghosts. We were mainly into the ghosts and witches, and we get them. We also get all the good speeches, with Cotillard doing several great Lady Macbeth monologues. The acting and cast seem to be top notch. It is also a very cinematic film, with lots of atmosphere and some nice battle scenes. But it seems to me that they cut the original play down a lot to fit it all in. That's fine, but I'll want to watch a less trimmed version soon.

This was directed by Justin Kurzel - we last saw him directing Assassins' Creed. Seems random, but they do both star Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Maybe this was his way of repaying them.