Macbeth (2015 film)

Macbeth

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Justin Kurzel
Produced by
Screenplay by
Based on Macbeth 
by William Shakespeare
Starring
Music by Jed Kurzel
Cinematography Adam Arkapaw
Edited by Chris Dickens
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 23 May 2015 (2015-05-23) (Cannes)
  • 2 October 2015 (2015-10-02) (United Kingdom)
  • 4 December 2015 (2015-12-04) (United States)
Running time
 113 minutes[1]
Country
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • United States
Language English
Budget $15–20 million[2]
Box office $12.6 million[3]

Macbeth is a 2015 British-French-American[4] adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy directed by Justin Kurzel and written by Jacob Koskoff, Todd Louiso, and Michael Lesslie, based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The film stars Michael Fassbender in the title role and Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[5][6] The film has received positive notice for the depiction of the lead character by Fassbender and for the adapted writing of the film script.

Plot

Act I

The film starts with a funeral of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's child, with both parents grieving for their loss. Macbeth, who supports King Duncan in the civil war, is leading royal troops into a final battle. Macbeth emerges victorious, but with heavy losses, including many boy soldiers. The battle is observed by three women with a small girl and an infant. They approach Macbeth and Banquo, hailing Macbeth as a Thane of Cawdor and future King, and Banquo as a father of Kings, before disappearing in the mist.

Act II

Elsewhere, Duncan hears about Macbeth's victory and is brought the Thane of Cawdor who, deemed to be a traitor because he has allied with Norse invaders, is stripped of his title and executed. The King orders his servants to take the title of Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth, who reacts uncertainly. He sends a message ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her about the witches' prophecies. Lady Macbeth then prays to the dark spirits in the village’s church asking them for guidance. When Macbeth and his soldiers return, and her husband tells her that Duncan will stay one night as their guest, she urges Macbeth to kill the King to fulfill the prophecy from the witches. Duncan arrives to the village and a feast is being held, where the King pronounces Malcolm as his heir. Macbeth still hesitates and Lady Macbeth persuades him to commit the deed, while she slips a sleeping potion to the King's servants. After the feast ends, Macbeth sees a ghost of one of the boy soldiers who had been killed during the battle who gives him a dagger and leads him towards Duncan’s tent. Macbeth follows and brutally slays Duncan. Malcolm enters the tent and seeing what Macbeth has done, flees in fear. Shaken, Macbeth goes to his wife and gives her the daggers he used to kill the King. Lady Macbeth rebukes him that he should leave them in the tent and goes herself to place the daggers in the hands of the sleeping chamberlains. Later she meets Macbeth in the church where they both wash their hands from blood and with Lady Macbeth telling him that the water has washed their deed away.

Act III

In the morning, Macduff enters the tent to wake Duncan, only to discover that he is dead. Macbeth summarily executes the sleeping servants to prevent their confession. Macduff and Lennox, a Scottish noble, discuss that as Malcolm has fled to England that puts him under suspicion of being involved in the murder. They also admire Macbeth’s justice on the supposedly-treacherous servants in the rightful fit of anger. With Malcolm gone, Macbeth is asked to become King of Scotland. After the coronation he sits in a sour mood in his chamber where Lady Macbeth comes to him. He complains that killing Duncan was for nothing as he has no heirs to inherit after him and that the crown will pass to Banquo and his son, Fleance according to the prophecy. He invites Banquo with his son to a banquet and finds out that they both plan to leave. Seeing how Banquo is becoming suspicious, Macbeth sends three assassins to murder him. Banquo is killed, but Fleance escapes to the woods.

During the evening, Macbeth is waiting for Banquo to arrive and makes a comment about him not keeping his promise to show up for the feast. When the assassins arrive to the feast, Macbeth asks if they succeeded and is enraged when he finds out that Banquo’s son escaped. Then he sees Banquo's ghost in his armour standing among other guests next to the table. Macbeth is afraid and starts to talk to the ghost which is unseen by everyone else. Lady Macbeth tries to calm everyone by claiming that her husband is unwell, but Macbeth continues to rave, which prompts Macduff and his wife to leave the feast despite the King ordering them to stay. Lady Macbeth dismisses all the guests and takes Macbeth back to their chamber.

Act IV

Macbeth travels in the night to talk to the three witches. Once he finds them, they show him a vision of slain soldiers who tell him to beware Macduff, and he shall be King until Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill, where the royal castle is built. Finally the ghost of the slain boy soldier who gave him the dagger tells him that he won’t be slain by any man born from a woman. The King is found wandering the hills by Lennox who passes the news that Macduff fled to England. Fearing this with a fit of rage, Macbeth orders his family and servants to be killed. Lady Macduff and her children are captured and burned at the stake, while a distraught Lady Macbeth watches the execution. After the burning she takes out the daggers that were used to kill Duncan and repeatedly washes them.

Meanwhile, Macduff meets up with Malcolm, who is gathering troops in England for the march in Scotland. Ross and Angus inform him about the murder of his family and servants. Stricken with grief and anger, Macduff swears revenge and both he and Malcolm (who supports Macduff) join forces to challenge Macbeth.

Act V

Haunted by guilt, Lady Macbeth returns to her village, now abandoned, and laments in the church on the terrible deeds that were done and how her hands are covered in bloodstains. She then sees the ghost of her dead child which she urges to go to bed. She then walks among the hills and sees the three witches as she walks towards them.

In the castle, rumours spread that Macbeth went mad and his subjects fear his anger and tyrannical behaviour. Macbeth is told his wife is dead. Saying "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow", he then lifts her body and carries her around the chamber in despair. Seyton then brings him news that Malcolm is leading an army against him and Macbeth orders his armour to be brought to him.

Macduff sets the Birnam Wood on fire, with the smoke and ashes blowing towards the castle, making the prophecy come true. Macbeth leaves the castle to face the attacking army and engages in a duel with Macduff. Macbeth is confident that he will win as "no man born of woman" can kill him. Macduff then tells him that he was untimely ripped from his mother's womb and, using Macbeth's distraction, he stabs him. Thanks to Macduff's confession, Macbeth starts to sympathize the mistakes he made through his tyranny, despite knowing all too well that it's too late to redeem himself. Rather than surrendering, Macbeth refuses to accept defeat and bow down before Malcolm. As soon as he finishes quoting his last stand against Macduff, Macbeth allows himself to be fatally stabbed by Macduff. The three witches that were observing the battle soon leave just as Macbeth dies in the battlefield. Seconds after Macbeth's death, Malcolm is hailed King of Scotland and he, Macduff and their forces soon abandon Macbeth's corpse as they make their way over to his castle.

In the last scene, Malcolm is seen leaving the throne room while Fleance takes Macbeth's sword and charges through the empty battlefield, disappearing into the smoke.

Cast

Production

The production company behind Macbeth is See-Saw Films; the film was distributed by StudioCanal worldwide.

Filming

Principal photography took place over seven weeks in England and Scotland.[7] On 6 February 2014, it was announced that principal photography had begun in Scotland.[8] On 21 February, filming took place at Hankley Common in Elstead, Surrey.[9] On 26 February, the cast and crew were spotted on set at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland with almost 200 extras.[10] Other locations used include Quiraing in Skye, and Ely Cathedral in Ely, Cambridgeshire.[11][12][13]

Costumes

Costume designer Jacqueline Durran was in charge of the costumes for the film.[14] Durran took reference from a book called the Tilke which is sort of encyclopedia of folk costume, compiled and illustrated in the 1920s by a German artist and ethnographer, Max Tilke.[14]

Marketing

A couple of photos from the film were revealed on 18 April 2014,[15] followed by two teaser posters on 14 May.[16] The first trailer was released by StudioCanal on 4 June 2015 and crossed over 2 million views.[17]

Character posters featuring Fassbender and Cotillard were released on 27 August 2015.[18] The first North American trailer was released by The Weinstein Company on 1 September 2015.[19] A new pair of posters were released on 4 September 2015.[20] In the Philippines, the film was marketed as Macbeth: Warrior King.[21]

Release

Director and stars promoting the film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

In October 2013, The Weinstein Company acquired distribution rights to the film.[22] Macbeth premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival on 23 May and was released in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2015.[23] The film had a limited release in the United States across five theaters in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on 4 December 2015, before expanding theaters on 11 December.[24] The film will be made available through Amazon Instant Video shortly after its theatrical release, as part of a deal between The Weinstein Company and Amazon.[25] The film was released in the Philippines by Pioneer Films on 13 January 2016.[26]

Critical reception

Macbeth has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 79%, based on 156 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Faithful to the source material without sacrificing its own cinematic flair, Justin Kurzel's Macbeth rises on the strength of a mesmerizing Michael Fassbender performance to join the upper echelon of big-screen Shakespeare adaptations."[27] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]

Writing for The New York Times on 3 December 2015, Manohla Dargis complimented Fassbender's depiction of the lead role stating:

Kenneth Tynan once wrote that 'nobody has ever succeeded as Macbeth' because the character shrinks from a complex figure into a cowering thug. The exception, Tynan continued, immediately contradicting his claim, was Laurence Olivier, who in a 1955 production 'shook hands with greatness.' With his Macbeth, Mr. Fassbender, who routinely shakes hands with greatness in films that don’t remotely do the same, produces a man whose anguish eventually becomes a powerful counterpoint to his deeds, partly because he’s already dead by the time he utters his first word. Mr. Fassbender gives you a reason to see this Macbeth, although the writing isn’t bad, either.[29]

Luke Buckmaster of The Daily Review rated the film four out of five stars, calling it "bold" and "fearless" and praising the production values as well as Fassbender and Cotillard's performances, but criticized the actors' poor enunciation or peculiar accents, which distracted from the film's other qualities.[30]

Awards and nominations

Award / Film festival Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Justin Kurzel Nominated [31]
British Independent Film Awards Best British Independent Film Macbeth Nominated [32]
Best Director Justin Kurzel Nominated
Best Actor Michael Fassbender Nominated
Best Actress Marion Cotillard Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Sean Harris Nominated
Best Cinematography Adam Arkapaw Nominated
Empire Awards Best British Film Macbeth Nominated [33][34]
Best Actor Michael Fassbender Nominated
Goya Awards Best European Film Justin Kurzel Nominated [35]
Satellite Award Best Art Direction and Production Design Fiona Crombie Nominated [36]
Best Costume Design Jacqueline Durran Nominated
Phoenix Film Critics Circle Best Actress Marion Cotillard Nominated [37]

References

  1. ↑ "MACBETH (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Justin Kurzel, 'Macbeth'". Screen International. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Macbeth (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Macbeth review: 'Fassbender was born for this'". The Telegraph. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "2015 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Screenings Guide". Festival de Cannes. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Sandwell, Ian (6 February 2014). "Macbeth starts shoot". screendaily.com. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  8. ↑ Hopewell, John (6 February 2014). "Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard Roll on ‘Macbeth’". variety.com. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  9. ↑ Morris, Jennifer (21 February 2014). "Inverness comes to Hankley Common for Macbeth filming". getsurrey.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  10. ↑ "Hollywood A-lister Michael Fassbender filming in Northumberland". chroniclelive.co.uk. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  11. ↑ Russell, Michael. "Filming of "Macbeth" begins on Skye". whfp.com. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  12. ↑ DAY, JORDAN (17 March 2014). "Setting up for filming of Macbeth at Ely Cathedral gets underway". ely-news.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "Ely: Macbeth Filming Underway". heart.co.uk. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  14. 1 2 Rachel Lee Harris (December 16, 2015). "Michael Fassbender and the Robes of Royalty". The New York Times. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  15. ↑ Anderton, Ethan (18 April 2014). "First Look: Michael Fassbender Holds Marion Cotillard in 'Macbeth'". firstshowing.net. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  16. ↑ DAVIS, EDWARD (14 May 2014). "First Posters For ‘Macbeth’ Starring Michael Fassbender & Marion Cotillard". indiewire.com. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  17. ↑ "Macbeth - Official Teaser Trailer". YouTube. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "All Hail Michael Fassbender & Marion Cotillard in New Images and Posters From Macbeth". indiewire.com. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "MACBETH - Official U.S. Trailer". YouTube. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  20. ↑ "Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard's 'Macbeth' Posters Stun in Black and White and Blood Red". indiewire.com. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  21. ↑ Unjieng, Philip Cu (25 January 2016). "Shakespeare’s masterpiece by another name". philstar.com. Philstar. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  22. ↑ Tatiana Siegel. "The Weinstein Co. Nabs Michael Fassbender Starrer 'Macbeth'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  23. ↑ Rosser, Michael (19 May 2015). "'Macbeth' gets awards season release date". Screendaily.com. Emap International Limited. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  24. ↑ "Macbeth (2015) (2015) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
  25. ↑ Lowe, Kinsey (September 1, 2015). "RADiUS-TWC Pacts With Amazon Prime For Early VOD On ‘Macbeth’". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  26. ↑ Inquirer Pop (12 January 2016). "Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard in Macbeth – opens January 13". Inquirer Pop (Inquirer Interactive Inc.). Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  27. ↑ "Macbeth (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  28. ↑ "Macbeth (2015)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  29. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (2015-12-03). "Review: ‘Macbeth,’ Starring Michael Fassbender, Awash in Gorgeous Carnage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  30. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (2 October 2015). "Macbeth movie review". The Daily Review. Retrieved 26 October 2015. The text is challenging enough without performers mumbling their dialogue or ... coming up with an odd verbal flavour
  31. ↑ "Justin Kurzel's 'Macbeth' in the running for the 2015 Cannes Palme d'Or". sbs.com.au. 17 April 2015.
  32. ↑ "The Lobster on a roll with seven British independent film awards nominations". The Guardian. 3 November 2015.
  33. ↑ Nugent, John. "Jameson Empire Awards 2016: Star Wars and Mad Max lead the nominations". Empire. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  34. ↑ Metro.co.uk, Rebecca Lewis for. "Mad Max: Fury Road leads the pack at the 2016 Jameson Empire Awards". Metro. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  35. ↑ "Premios Goya 30 - Los nominados". Academia de Cine.
  36. ↑ "Satellite Awards (2015)". International Press Academy. IPA. December 2, 2015. pressacademy.com. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  37. ↑ "2015 Awards". Phoenix Critics Circle. 31 March 2016.

External links

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