The Scottish Film

Shakespeare purists will probably raise an eyebrow or two at Macbeth, as the script is closely based upon but not completely faithful to the original play. But wow...!!! This film is as brutally beautiful as a film could be. This is a harsh depiction of life in early Scotland which will make you shiver with the cold and the damp on screen... and the unforgiving, horrific 'justice' meted out to its warriors, citizens and court will chill you. You wonder how anyone survived such a world.

The acting is stupendous: raw, subtle, powerful and compelling. Macbeth's descent into madness and witchery is complete whilst Lady Macbeth is painted much more sympathetically than in other productions I have seen. There are no soft edges in this film: even Macduff seems to be made from angled welded steel. This is a must see film!

Much has and will be written about the leadership lessons in Macbeth (just google it!). But I will take a different angle: much leadership is involved in daring to offer another interpretation of a well worn path. You can imagine the writers and directors meeting and saying "I know, let's do another film of Macbeth!" But true leadership is to be found in making this challenge and then following it through to completion.

Leaders in business and the arts are to found amongst those who take an old idea and re-imagine it in a way that is fresh, contemporary and persuasive (as this film has done). All this involves the courage of Macbeth, the tenacity of Macduff, the goodwill of Duncan, the strategy of Lady Macbeth and the nobility of Banquo. (I could go on...)

What is the next old idea to be refreshed? 

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This is Blog 116 in my 2014/2015 series of blogs about leadership ideas to be found in the movies of our time. You can read here as why I began doing this (with an update at the end of 2014). Please subscribe to this blog if you want to read more. Thanks. Click the label 'film' to see all the others.