"Maqbool" is one of those rare films which I just didn't warm to in spite of its quality. The writing is good, it's a solid, sometimes surprising adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to modern day India. Among the updated Shakespeare films it's definitely one of the best. The dialogue is good and the script is generally strong, if a little short on quality characterization. Vishal Bharadwaj's direction is simple yet assured, confident at all times and never very clunky. The acting is uniformly excellent, and Irfan Khan is great as Maqbool (Macbeth).
Still, "Maqbool" just wasn't a film I enjoyed very much at all. I'm sure I'll eventually come to understand why, but right now I think it's just the setting. Too often "Maqbool" feels like a moderately well-written crime drama, losing the intensity of Shakespeare's text, which shouldn't have been too hard to translate. The music is excellent as well, and helps set the mood, but "Maqbool" just never really gets going. There's drama and all, but instead of brimming with fiery intensity like Shakespeare's text or my favorite adaptation of it, Akira Kurosawa's phenomenal "Throne of Blood", it's all surprisingly mundane.
All in all this is a middle-of-the-road Shakespseare adaptation, interestingly done and if you want to see Naserrudin Shah play a witch this is the place to do so, but overall the film never really reaches its true potential, and remains just 'good' throughout. It's almost frustratingly 'okay'.
Still, "Maqbool" just wasn't a film I enjoyed very much at all. I'm sure I'll eventually come to understand why, but right now I think it's just the setting. Too often "Maqbool" feels like a moderately well-written crime drama, losing the intensity of Shakespeare's text, which shouldn't have been too hard to translate. The music is excellent as well, and helps set the mood, but "Maqbool" just never really gets going. There's drama and all, but instead of brimming with fiery intensity like Shakespeare's text or my favorite adaptation of it, Akira Kurosawa's phenomenal "Throne of Blood", it's all surprisingly mundane.
All in all this is a middle-of-the-road Shakespseare adaptation, interestingly done and if you want to see Naserrudin Shah play a witch this is the place to do so, but overall the film never really reaches its true potential, and remains just 'good' throughout. It's almost frustratingly 'okay'.