(Originally published 2 November 2015)
Putting a new spin on a classic tale can always be an exciting, but daunting task. Justin Kurzel tackles this ambitiously with one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, Macbeth. The violent text about the follies of over-ambition and paranoia are offset in a very naturalistic setting of the Scottish Highlands with some visually striking and beautiful cinematography and a pungent, realistic atmosphere. While this does work to make the text grounded, it loses a lot of the dramatics and wonderfully avant-garde nature that makes the play so beloved.
You Call Yourself a Film Critic 