This version of "Macbeth" was promoted as an "adventurous cinematic experience". So I was expecting, you know, a movie, and an "adventurous" one at that. What this *actually* is, is a stage production. So the concept is basically filming actors doing the Shakespearean play in a theatre, on a stage. If you like going to the theatre to see plays, then perhaps you will like this. Certainly all the actors are top-notch and their performances are excellent. However, if you're like me, and hoping for a MOVIE, then you're going to be disappointed. Like me. If I wanted to watch a stage play, I would go to a theatre. Thanks, but no thanks.
Plot summary
Entirely shot on green screen, Shakespeare’s Macbeth has been reinvented by director Kit Monkman (The Knife That Killed Me) in an exciting new film adaptation. Starring Mark Rowley, (The Last Kingdom, Luther). Monkman’s unique adaptation successfully bridges the gap between theatre and film to create a wholly new type of imaginative space. This radical new adaptation puts the audience’s engagement with the story centre-stage, amplifying the theatrical context of the original and creating truly innovative and thrilling cinematic vistas, whilst maintaining the language and themes of Shakespeare’s original play. Using background matte painting and computer modelling to generate the world in which the action plays out, the green screen allows Monkman to create his vision of a multi-tiered globe in which the characters play out their various fates.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
June 09, 2019 at 01:53 PM
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
They FILMED a STAGE production / play.
You either like this type of thing or hate it
Mark Rowley made me cry. In the "Is this a dagger..." soliloquy, I honest to god cried it was so good. Al Weaver and Akia Henry, they rocked it. Truly amazing.
You either like the anachronistic versions or don't. If you don't like them, then this is not for you. If you are open to them, then this is truly a 10 out of 10 version of Macbeth.
Worthwhile Macbeth Production
This 2018 Macbeth movie places each scene in a theatrical fantasy setting, actually the same approach the 2021 Joel Cohen film takes, but with a very different look. This production uses very young talent, but that doesn't mean they are not skilled and effective actors... they are. Mark Rowley takes on Macbeth with energy and passion. As to passion, I admire the effective exploration of the erotic relationship between him and Lady Macbeth, something Joel Cohen completely left out of his 2021 film, and it suffered for it. I think Shakespeare wanted that erotic love to be a part of the bond that the couple hold, and makes it easier to understand Lady Macbeth's manipulation.
Production values in this 2018 film are very high with fascinating transitions from scene to scene. You are not presented with a realistic setting at all and if you are open to going along with it it's a fun ride.
The grand dinner scene is played out much more thoroughly than in Cohen's film. This is when Lady Macbeth learns that her husband has had Banquo murdered and you can see in her response that she sees everything falling apart. The scene lasts ten minutes here and less than three in Cohen's version.
I really think Joel Cohen watched this movie, there are numerous similarities in the approach and even the framing of key shots.
All the scenes are presented as if wrapped into a giant, transparent 'Globe' and there is the figure of an older man, a writer in his study, who observes everything, sometimes with apparent surprise. I am supposing this is the author himself? All in all this 2018 is worth watching and I admire the efforts of all who were involved.