Studying Macbeth at school, I recall not being convinced when an army camouflaged itself with trees to bring Birnam Wood to Dunsinane thus enabling the witches’ prophecy. For me, it always conjured an image of the Dad’s Army platoon on manoeuvre in an English wood with twigs in their helmets. I doubt my rejection of this plot device ever caused Shakespeare to turn in his grave.
Nonetheless, director Justin Kurzel seems to share my misgivings. In an innovative way he adapts the text to improve greatly this scenario; it is cinematically spectacular while simultaneously bringing with it the portent of death. No spoilers, but it’s a highlight of a film which is very well-paced and quite deliberately, with this exception, relentlessly dour in its approach – no glamour, no humour. The cinematography is subdued, the acting understated. It couldn’t be further removed from Olivier’s glorious Technicolor Henry V which, for me, remains the greatest screen Shakespeare. But the film has successfully found its niche and is a very worthy successor to the great adaptations of the mid-twentieth century.

****