2020 Tarkovsky Prize Runner Up: Tomi Osawa
Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair: On Lady Macbeth Directed by William Oldroyd
by Tomi Osawa (Lowell High School)
The movie Lady Macbeth has little to do with Shakespeare. There are no puffed sleeves, swords, or words such as “art thou” and “wherefore.” Unlike Shakespeare's revered play, the movie is not set in Scotland but instead in 19th century rural England. There are no witches, kings, or civil wars. However, despite these differences, the film and play are similar in one critical sense: they are both, without a doubt, tragedies.
Lady Macbeth tells the story of a woman, Katherine Lester, trapped in a loveless marriage to a spiteful and perverse man twice her age. She is told she must stay in their country house, where she is starved of companionship, entertainment, and, ultimately, happiness. When her husband leaves on a trip, Katherine relishes her newfound freedom and is eager to explore. She begins a passionate affair with one of the estate’s workingmen, which is initially a fairytale but quickly takes a much darker turn. It’s a movie about loneliness and lust, a dangerous combination that causes Katherine to commit increasingly extreme and immoral acts as the film progresses. Lady Macbeth effectively immerses the viewers into the slow-burning story of Katherine Lester through cinematography, dramatic character development, and music editing.
Lady Macbeth’s set design and cinematography masterfully sets a melancholy and bleak mood for the film. Through the use of clever and deliberate camera work, the viewers are able to get a glimpse at how truly oppressive and unwelcoming life on the estate is. The film is shot in primarily cool tones, therefore it seems as though the world of Katherine Lester is engulfed in a perpetual overcast. The manor that Katherine is trapped in is austere and riddled with dark corners and grey-white walls. This sparse and frigid aesthetic gives the viewer an idea of both the depression and oppression Katherine experiences. Another effective visual technique prevalent in Lady Macbeth is the use of long and lingering shots of life on the manor, free of dialogue. There are scenes where the camera simply stares at Katherine’s blank face while lying in bed or struggling to stay awake doing simple daily tasks. These scenes, although seemingly simple, are able to expose so much about Katherine’s character and the depression she experiences living a monotonous and joyless life. Lady Macbeth is not just a visually stunning film: its design evokes emotion, demands empathy, and pushes the audience to get lost in Katherine’s dark world and mind.
One of the most interesting and thought-provoking aspects of Lady Macbeth is the ever-changing relationship the viewer has with Katherine as the film progresses. At the beginning of the film, it’s clear that Katherine is a character deserving of anyone’s sympathy. She was sold like a commodity into a marriage to a man that is distant, cruel, and sexually perverse. Her life seems to consist primarily of red wine, stiff dresses, and staring out windows. Therefore, it’s impossible not to root for her as she explores her newfound freedom and finally smiles in a seemingly unsmiling world. However, as the film progresses, Katherine steadily morphs from the victim to the villain, from prey to predator. It becomes clear to the audience that Katherine is selfish and, quite frankly, insane. The viewer is inevitably forced to reassess their allegiances and is faced with an interesting ethical dilemma: is it wrong to have sympathy for someone who is quite obviously a twisted individual? Katherine’s dramatic character arc is thought-provoking and has the audience not only examining her morality, but also their own. Therefore it allows for an overall more engaging film that leaves its audience thinking far beyond its hour and a half run time.
Lady Macbeth’s music, or lack thereof, makes for an unconventional and ultimately riveting viewing experience that draws the audience to the edge of their seats. With the exception of its two critical climaxes, the film is completely void of any soundtrack or musical score. This technique allows for the viewer to truly understand the power of silence. It strengthens the sense of loneliness one gets from a dinner scene, one where nothing is heard but the scraping of silverware on fine china. There’s nothing emptier than the sound of footsteps on hardwood floors, echoing through an empty mansion. Lady Macbeth makes it apparent that silence can be much more telling and powerful than dialogue. However, this silence is then beautifully marred by two surges of music at the most pivotal moments of the film. This contrast can’t help but give one goosebumps and raise one’s heart rate. This unique technique is simple but provocative, as it heightens the viewer’s emotional and physical response to the film.
Lady Macbeth is a slow-burning film that effectively seizes the attention of its viewers with brilliant aesthetics, complex characters, and deliberate sound editing. Although it’s definitely not Shakespeare, it does not disappoint when it comes to elements of calculated betrayal, dangerous lust, and poisonous power. It is a one-of-a-kind movie that leaves its viewers tampering with a common but significant question: what came first, the heartless person or the heartless world?