The “Scottish Play” was back on the big screen this year, as a new film adaptation o Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Michael Fassbender stars in the title role, driven by prophecy (and the cunning Lady Macbeth, played by Marion Cotillard) to question his loyalty to the King of Scotland.

This version of Macbeth is less polished than Polanski’s 1971 version and has more in common with Kurosawa’s 1985 adaptation, Ran. Everything from the acting, dialogue, combat scenes, and even the landscape, is filmed in a much grittier manner.

This, on occasion, may make the dialog difficult to understand. Fortunately, subtitles are available on the DVD and Blu-ray Disc.