John-Mark Wood

Third film version I’ve tried. Recently read the play and was wowed by the words on the page. I wanted to see Mr and Mrs Macbeth’s speeches, acted telling the lines. They say non-verbal communication is a large part of any human interaction. Where Shakespeare’s concerned that’s definitely what the actor’s earn their coin for. Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood both do the job. Lady M’s speeches - this actress very much knows what she’s doing. The scene where Macbeth talks himself out of killing Duncan - and she interrupts him and is not chuffed what her husband’s thinking - that is some working the words there. Not only telling interpretation but also informed me I missed something with a psychological bearing on character in my reading. They are a childless couple. But it hasn’t always been that way. ‘When I gave suck ...’ - full relevance of that line didn’t strike me in reading. Made me think the writer might’ve pursued that element a bit more, rather than just telling it and leaving it. Maybe with a little bit of experience, he’ll get better? Three stars because version I watched action and sound didn’t sync.