Macbeth Analytical Essay

Justin Kurzel, director of Macbeth, has a unique perspective and interpretation of Macbeth that differs from Roman Polanski, director of Macbeth in 1971. Polanski used a more simplistic approach which focused on the script of Shakespeare’s play whereas Kurzel favored the picture and imagery of the movie over the passages. Kurzel, the Australian director known mostly for The Snowtown Murders, employs Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard to exemplify the true deceptive personalities of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Even though Kurzel masterfully creates scenes through the setting and cinematography with a cast that captivates the audience with magnificent characterization, this depiction of Macbeth is a flop due to the director’s butchering of

Fassbender excels in his role as he exemplifies his character’s true ambitious and savage conscience which eventually leads to his demise in the final battle. This shrewd interpretation of Macbeth shows the serious and evil nature of the warrior showing no signs of the man who was previously “full of the milk of human kindness”. Fassbender was able to captivate the audience with his brilliant acting which left the audience enraptured when his character was gruesomely murdered in the final scene. Cotillard masterfully depicts the cold and ruthless Lady Macbeth who deteriorates into a fragile and broken wife in her final days. One of the most powerful scenes in the movie is when Lady Macbeth is speaking to one of Macduff’s dead children as she reflects on how her manipulative ridiculing of her husband led to the bloodbath that has occurred in the highlands of Scotland.
Ultimately, this movie attracts the audience with its setting, cinematography, special effects, edits, and music that builds up excitement throughout the movie, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. Kurzel masterfully uses the dreary fog and rural landscape of Scotland to create a dark and sinister tone to the movie. The battle scenes were masterfully filmed with dirt and blood flying through the air and slow motion shots that built up the suspense of the battles. The special effects and edits create a distinct image of the battles that