Lady Macbeth (2016)

In 19th-century rural England, a young bride who has been sold into marriage discovers an unstoppable desire within herself as she enters into an affair with a worker on her estate.

Director:

William Oldroyd

Writers:

Nikolai Leskov (based on Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Alice Birch

Stars:

Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 21 wins & 45 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Florence Pugh	...	Katherine
Cosmo Jarvis	...	Sebastian
Paul Hilton	...	Alexander
Naomi Ackie	...	Anna
Christopher Fairbank	...	Boris
Golda Rosheuvel	...	Agnes
Anton Palmer	...	Teddy
Rebecca Manley	...	Mary
Fleur Houdijk	...	Tessa
Cliff Burnett	...	Father Peter
David Kirkbride	...	Edward
Bill Fellows	...	Dr. Burdon
Nicholas Lumley	...	Mr. Robertson
Raymond Finn	...	Mr. Kirkbride
Ian Conningham	...	Detective Logan

Storyline

Rural England, 1865. Katherine is stifled by her loveless marriage to a bitter man twice her age, whose family are cold and unforgiving. When she embarks on a passionate affair with a young worker on her husband's estate, a force is unleashed inside her, so powerful that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

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Plot Keywords:

loveless marriage | male nudity | man slaps a woman | sex scene | bare breasts | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing violence, strong sexuality/nudity, and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's cinematographer, Ari Wegner, lives in Australia so, during pre-production, he would hold meetings with director William Oldroyd over Skype.

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Goofs

A Cornish Rex cat first appears at 14:30. The breed first appeared around 1950.

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Quotes

Alexander: Take your nightdress off. Face the wall. Face the wall!

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Connections

Featured in The EE British Academy Film Awards (2018)

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Soundtracks

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
(uncredited)
German folk tune
Lyrics by Joachim Neander, translated by Catherine Winkworth

User Reviews

What a ruthless woman will do

This film tells the story of a young woman who is sold into a loveless marriage with an older wealthy gentleman. She has a passionate affair with a servant of the house. The promise of a happier life eludes her, until she takes full control of the situation.

Initially I thought the film was really about Macbeth's wife, but I soon learn that it is not the case. The title comes from the similar ruthlessness and cold bloodedness that the leading woman and Lady Macbeth have. It is engaging to see how Katherine transforms from a timid woman into a sociopathic woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. The pacing is a little slow, with artistic shots lasting 10 or even 20 seconds but does not really help story telling. Overall, the story is good and Katherine's character is very interesting.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Sixty-Six Picture [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lady Macbeth

Filming Locations:

Northumberland, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$64,537, 16 July 2017

Gross USA:

$1,129,408

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,401,447

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sixty-Six Pictures, BBC Films, British Film Institute (BFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1