Sold into a loveless marriage with a middle-aged man, young bride Katherine soon finds herself alone in her new home. Upon meeting one of her husband's new groomsmen, she embarks upon a dangerous affair that has truly murderous consequences.
'Are you cold?' This is the first question our young bride, Katherine (Florence Pugh) is asked, and it can be interpreted in two ways, much like the rest of the film. It sounds as though the maid, Anna (unawares of the trauma she is about to experience) is asking whether her mistress is chilly, but, after seeing the rest of the film, could it be foreshadowing of Katherine's cold emotional behaviour? It is certainly a tricky one to decipher, and yet so is the film itself. With a completely stripped-down soundtrack - there are very few instances where music is used at all - the focus of the film remains wholly upon the actors. Without the guidance of music to tell us what to think or feel, we are left alone to interpret Katherine's actions, and it makes for a troubling experience.
Beginning with the feel of something a kin to a sexual thriller (the threat of rape, a young woman untouched by her husband, a forbidden love affair between people from two separate classes), the plot soon moves into far darker territory, and the reasoning behind that Shakespearean title become more and more apparent (although I would argue there are definitely hints of Wuthering Heights woven throughout), and the age-long debate of nature vs nature comes into play. Is Katherine merely a product of her loveless marriage? Or is she simply wicked? It's certainly a question that will leave you pondering, but one part of the equation that cannot be left in any doubt is Florence Pugh's incredibly adult performance. Nuanced, understated, hypnotic and alluring all at once, she draws the eyes of the viewer from the very first scene, and bewitches us throughout. Impassioned and yet restrained at the same time, she remains almost entirely unreadable - it is truly immersive piece of acting.
Perhaps not the steamy sex romp that the trailer would lead you to believe, Lady Macbeth is a knowingly art house film awash with both Shakespearean and gothic references. Beautifully framed and only sparingly punctuated with a haunting soundtrack, the focus of the tale remains entirely upon Florence Pugh and her brilliant performance. A must-watch, if only for that reason.
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