Possibly because she has been in the news recently or the way the lead is dressed and the house is furnished, whatever, Florence Pugh in “Lady Macbeth” kept reminding me of Olivia DeHaviland in “The Heiress”, who plays Catherine, which isn’t a bad comparison for Pugh.

Florence Pugh plays Katherine, (with a K),  a 17 year old virginal girl who has been basically ‘purchased’ with a plot of land, who is married to a sexually dysfunctional man, Alexander , played by Paul Hilton, more than twice her age. He pleasures himself while she is nude facing a wall and therefore unable to bear the children forwhich she is bought. Not only does she have a brutal non-caring husband who will not allow her to go outdoors she also has to put up with his father Boris (Christopher Fairbank) another unpleasant man.

Alexander has to leave for a period of time allowing Katherine to go outside and walk in the nature she loves so much and has missed. At one point she comes across a group of men who work for her husband having ‘sport’ with her maid Anna ((Naomi Ackie) and becomes a witness to all that takes place when Katherine gets involved in a very heated love affair with Sebastian, ( Cosmo Jarvis) her husband’s servant.

At this point forget any idea of Shakespeare you might get just from the title of the film as it turns into both a ‘bodice ripper’ and a melodrama that includes murder, deception, revenge, a major character going mute, a cold blooded killing and a major betrayal leading to an unanswered ending.

Talking about unanswered questions there are many puzzles left just that as they are left like that such as why the husband is dysfunctional sexually.

The main reason for seeing this movie is the possibilities of seeing a new star emerge in the beginning of her career. Florence Pugh goes from a naïve, shy young girl to a woman who takes control of her life and in many cases those around her and how it changes her.

“Lady Macbeth” is a fairly short movie in these days with 2+ hour films in that it only runs 89 minutes, though it does seem longer at times.

Movie trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z0N8ULhuUA