Macbeth, starring Michael Fassbender in the title role, comes out on DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday, March 8th, and I was able to give it an early watch. I was excited to see this movie for two reasons: one, Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare play and two, Michael Fassbender.

Now I first read Macbeth in high school for an English class and the first thing about the play that intrigued me was the witches. While they are not the primary characters in this show, they set in motion all the events that take place by sharing their premonitions with Macbeth. Beyond the witches the play is about betrayal, political power plays, murder, and madness, all of which are fascinating to watch play out. If you don’t remember Macbeth here’s a quick summary. A man named Macbeth is told by three witches that he will become the King of Scotland. He informs his wife, Lady Macbeth, that he has been told he could be king. Lady Macbeth then plans out a way for her husband to be king, which slowly leads the two of them into madness. More happens, but that is a rough gist in case you’ve never read the play or seen a production of it.

This adaptation of Macbeth is gorgeous to watch. The scenery around the actors is just beautiful. The interiors and exteriors are equally amazing and the scene near the end of the film between Macbeth and Macduff where fire tinges everything is full of gorgeous reds and oranges that makes it appear as though the men are fighting in some sort of hellscape. Besides looking beautiful the acting is exceptional. Michael Fassbender shows the weakness within Macbeth’s character, while also depicting his ever growing madness in a way that keeps you fixated on him. Marion Cotilliard as Lady Macbeth is gloriously calculating and the way she interacts with Fassbender emphasizes the control that her character has over Macbeth. Within the scene where she informs him of her plan to kill the king for their benefit she draws you in and becomes your focus even though so much more is going on.

Sean Harris as Macduff was heartbreaking to watch after the death of the king. He portrayed such intense grief perfectly that I was blown away. Lady Macduff, played by Elizabeth Debicki, also had an exceptional scene after being captured by Macbeth. All of the acting really was fabulous from all of the cast. Quick note, I was surprised and delighted to see David Thewlis on screen, though I was upset to realize that he was Duncan and wouldn’t be in the movie for very long.

Overall I loved everything about this movie and I would definitely watch it again. If you haven’t seen it you definitely need to watch it as soon as you can. I give it five out of five nerdy girl glasses.

Want to share your thoughts on Macbeth or other Shakespeare adaptations? Comment below or tweet at us, @thenerdygirlexp. You can also find me on Twitter, @kleffnotes, and on my blog, kleffnotes.wordpress.com, and on my kleffnotes YouTube channel. I also run The Nerdy Girl Express Snapchat, thenerdygirlexp.