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Macbeth

Name: Macbeth
Director: Kit Monkman
Released: 2018
Duration: 121 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

2018

Director

Kit Monkman

Runtime

121 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Kit Monkman’s adaptation is a stylistically radical deconstruction of Shakespeare that prioritizes psychological complexity over historical realism. By using green screen and matte paintings, the film creates a multi-tiered, abstract world that shifts the focus toward subjective experience. While the film elevates women's ability to drive the story through Lady Macbeth's central role, it remains tethered to traditional casting norms. The lack of racial and LGBTQ+ diversity keeps the production within the bounds of the classical canon's historical homogeneity. Ultimately, the work is a modern, relativistic interpretation of morality. It excels in its aesthetic innovation and its ability to disrupt traditional frameworks, even if it does not expand the demographic breadth of the characters.

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Category Breakdown

Does Macbeth have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film follows the traditional assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender, with no explicit evidence of same-sex relationships or non-cisgender gender identities.

How does Macbeth portray gender?

Fair

Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a key figure in the political upheaval, taking an active role in driving the story. Her psychological influence is emphasized.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Macbeth?

Limited

The production features a predominantly white cast, maintaining the traditional ethnic composition of the literary canon. It does not use actors from diverse backgrounds to challenge historical homogeneity.

How does Macbeth represent religion and culture?

Good

The postmodern aesthetic challenges traditional Western settings through a stylized, non-traditional lens. The story focuses on the disruption of authority and the corruption of power.

Does Macbeth include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities. Characters are defined by their political status and psychological traits.

Present on Screen

The film provides a nuanced portrayal of women's ability to drive the story, positioning Lady Macbeth as a central driver of the narrative.
The postmodern, stylized setting successfully challenges traditional historical and Western settings.
The adaptation offers a sophisticated, psychologically driven exploration of power and social instability.

Limited or Absent

The production lacks racial diversity, maintaining a predominantly white cast consistent with traditional casting.
There is no visible representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender gender expressions.
The film provides no evidence of disability representation, focusing instead on political and psychological status.

Official Synopsis

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.

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