Fair is foul...

I'm sure English teachers everywhere did a little jig when they heard that a new interpretation of Macbeth was hitting the big screen. Would there be a fresh take on this centuries old tale? How would it differ from the well known adaptations that already exist? More importantly, would it pave the way for some very welcome 'DVD lessons'? I must say, it defied all of my expectations - from the awesome opening battle sequence to the fiery finale (and I'm not someone who is easily impressed). The landscapes were raw and unforgiving and the cinematography was simply stunning, but deeply affecting. Michael Fassbender was born to play the title character and Marion Cotillard's Lady Macbeth was captivating (though not as ruthless or darkly ambitious as previous incarnations). The director, Justin Kurzel, took a fair few liberties that paid off but I won't write too much in case you want to see for yourself. I will tell you what has been omitted though. Gone are the famous witchy incantations and the porter scene has been done away with completely. There's also a Donalbain-shaped hole in the story but these changes work in this adaptation. Furthermore, the couple's childlessness is a prominent vein that runs throughout  and gives the film splashes of humanity every so often. To conclude, this is a very, very dark reworking that mesmerizes and shocks in equal measure. I certainly can't show the whole film to my class but some carefully chosen clips would definitely hook them (especially the boys). 

All hail indeed!