The cast is wonderful, the filming is fabulous, and I love it very much. This might be my favourite Macbeth.

The weird sisters: 

• First appearance:
  • The first speech is just narration to a black screen… until suddenly it’s a cloudy sky, with three birds circling, and then it’s NOT the sky but sandy ground.
  • Brief interlude to Duncan hearing about the battle, and then back to the witches…
  • Except it’s not a trio: it’s one woman, a contortionist with an amazing voice and honestly she’s the most terrifying witch I’ve seen yet.
  • She seems to be on the battlefield, and she squawks like a crow – the symbolism is glorious.
  • And when she speaks to Macbeth, she’s in front of a pool of water – with two versions of her reflected. And her voice is echoed to sound like more than one person…
  • And then her two reflections leave the pool and come to stand next to her!
• Second appearance:
  • Three figures in the ceiling, looking down at Macbeth – he hasn’t had to go looking for them.
  • There are multiple voices, but only one face.
  • “Double, double” is put here, as a way of calling the witch’s master. All ingredients thrown into a pool of water that’s in the castle.
  • The emphasis on “no more” was some ominous foreshadowing.

Macbeth: 

• First appearance: walking out of the sun, into our view: that’s a symbol. In appropriately worn medieval-ish battle dress
• Second appearance: There’s love for Lady Macbeth, but it’s more restrained than in some other versions. Possibly because they’re much older?
  • I think this is my favourite version of the “he’s here in double trust” speech. Washington isn’t a coward, he’s being rational and thinking it all through.
• I like Washington’s thoughtfulness as Macbeth. I do think it’s about age; he would be much less convincing as an impetuous, ambitious man. Which is not to say that he is emotionless: his anger at the idea that Fleance might be the reason he has soiled his soul is real.
• Macbeth seeing Banquo, post-death, is preceded by a crow flapping down the hall… and then when he is fighting Banquo, it turns out to be a crow. Like the crow the witches appeared to turn into at the start….
• Unravelling terribly as the English army approaches.
• He’s so tired by the time the English arrive. And resigned to fate. The way he hears that Macduff was untimely rip’d… again, I think it’s age.

Lady Macbeth: 

• First appearance: Long pale dress walking down a long, bright corridor. Hair is a crown.
• Her use of fainting is beautifully timed.
• As queen: she is now in a dark dress, beautifully embroidered. Hair still up in a crown, with an actual crown added to it.
• After the Banquo hallucination, she gives Macbeth a cup of wine and adds a drop of… something… and then the next thing we know, it’s “Tomorrow” and Macbeth wakes up and sees the witches. So… playing into Lady M as a witch herself…
  • And then when she comes in to him, her hair is in a rough plait and very messy.
• We actually see her once more, briefly, just before the army arrives – and Ross sees her too, and approaches her… menacingly…