Film Review: The Tragedy of Macbeth

By: Blanca Hitchcock, Staff Writer

Joel Coen’s first solo film without his brother, Ethan Coen, has been sending shock waves throughout the film world. Many critics were quick to question if the film would stick to the direct narrative of the play or take up a sense of creative freedom. After the film’s release date of December 25, raving reviews of the film came flooding in. Cinephiles from far and wide agree this film truly is a masterpiece. It was able to convey the true art of a Shakespearean play while also incorporating stylistic filming as well.  

As for my take on the film, I believe that the simplicity of the setting in which it was filmed worked entirely to its benefit. The lack of fluff or unnecessary costume enhancement/set designs was probably one of the best things the movie has going for itself. It is used in a way in that when the characters are delivering riveting monologs the focus is completely on their words. This is something that is difficult to do in films these days, especially when the character is chanting in Shakespearean prose. The simplicity of the set design is arguably one of the biggest strengths this film has.  

As for another huge strength, the cast seems to have been hand-selected by Shakespear himself (if he lived in the modern ages that is). Casting Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth might have just been one of the most amazing casting choices since Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver”. She perfectly embodied Lady Macbeth and was able to deliver her monolog in such a twisted warped way, the lines themselves seemed to have been personified and acting of their own accord. The Wicked Sisters were absolutely horrifying, something that I was happy to see as I was nervous their portrayal would not be able to capture their absolute wickedness. I was amazed to find myself actually nervous every time they came on the screen, something that I was in no way expecting.  

The film itself branched out from the norm of Shakespearean type casting and decided to take on a more diverse approach when finding it’s lead. Denzel Washington as the part of Macbeth himself stated in an interview that, “obviously we [cast] are diverse, so I think that’s a great thing,” but argued that “we ought to be at a place where diversity shouldn’t even be mentioned like it’s something special.”  

Cast as Macbeth, Denzel Washington had to embody one of Shakespear’s more unhinged characters, and he gamely stepped up to the challenge. Not only did Washington succeed in this role, but he might also be the strongest portrayal of Macbeth in film thus far.  

I would say that the “Tragedy of Macbeth” was a great adaptation of Shakespear’s “Macbeth”, and accurately captured the nuisances of every single character. It was a strong portrayal of the play itself and provided a great cinematic experience for film lovers everywhere.  

New Years, New Wins: The Avalanche’s January

By: Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer

Since we arrived in the New Year, the Avs have had a 15-0-1 record and have a home winning streak of 18 home games. They were the first team to hit 30 wins, are the top of the league, and continue to get praise from hockey pundits around the media. So, let’s take a look at the Avalanche’s January. 

Things to fix: The Avalanche in a lot of their most recent games have spent the first two periods behind on the score sheet or have blown a lead and had to come back. Now, because this team is as offensively deep as it is, they can pretty reliably out score their problems. However, it isn’t a good strategy in general. Look at the Edmonton Oilers, who started the season one of the best teams in the league rarely scoring the first goal and now are rapidly dropping in the standings. Relying on the offense to constantly bail you out is not a dependable strategy. It all goes back to the Avalanche’s inability to play a full 60 minutes of hockey.  They either start dominant, then drop off, blow the lead, and then fight back (like in the game against the Wild) or they start slow and have to come back in the second half of the game. 

The Avalanche have the best PDO in the league right now and a higher than normal shooting percentage (per JFreshHockey). Since the Avalanche are scoring at a much higher rate than expected, it means that their PDO is high. PDO has to do with luck, so it always regresses back to the mean as does high shooting percentage. All of that is just a fancy way of saying that the offense is not always going to score at this rate. 

The Avalanche dominate when they get the other team to play their game, but sometimes they fall into the trap of playing the game of the opposing team. The Avalanche are all about speed and offense, while other teams want to slow down the game which makes the Avalanche more susceptible to making mistakes. In their rematch against the Leafs, for the first half the Leafs controlled the game and forced the Avalanche to play the way they wanted. When the Avs started to come back they forced the Leafs to play their game. No one plays the Avalanche’s game better than the Avs. 

Net front defense continues to be a problem and nowhere was that seen more than the game against the Kraken. Two of the goals scored by the Kraken in that game were scored at the net front. The Avalanche need to get better at moving players out of the net front. So many times players are allowed time in space in front of the Avs net and they either score or they are used as a screen which also leads to goals against. In the playoffs, goals are scored in front of the net as games get played tighter and more defensively stringent. If the net front is left undefended, they will feel it most in those tight playoff situations. 

Nathan MacKinnon was injured in the Bruins game by Taylor Hall and will need to have nose surgery. He will miss the All-Star game but hopefully be back in the line up after the All-Star break is over. MacKinnon has had horrible injury luck this season. He was just starting to heat back up before this hit by Hall. However, losing MacKinnon shouldn’t hurt the Avs too much because of the way the rest of the line up has been 

Positives: Honestly, everything else. This team is an absolute powerhouse that always finds ways to win. MacKinnon looks like he forces the game to his will. The whole first line look like world beaters and with the rate that they are scoring they probably are. Nazem Kadri continues to be on fire. Everyone on this team is playing their part and helping this team get to victory. Despite the concerns brought up in the last section, this team is almost completely perfect. 

The Avalanche’s offense has been lethal. It is deep and prolific, constantly able to bail the Avalanche out at every turn and this goes beyond the forward group. Cale Makar has been unreal and will be going to the All-Star game. He is generating offense and creating more scoring threats for the Avalanche, which should help them from regressing too much when their PDO goes back down to the mean. The Avs D-core has looked incredible lately, which it is. It saves the Avs when the passes to nowhere start becoming a prevalent problem in the game. 

One plus of the Avalanche’s continued comeback victories is that it shows mental toughness and resilience. They keep fighting and do not give up no matter the score. That determination keeps them competitive. It is a good sign when it comes to the mindset of the Avs, they won’t let things get them discouraged. They will always keep fighting. 

Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz have both looked incredible in net. Francouz has had two shutouts in the past few games and Kuemper made JFreshHockey’s list of statistically best goalies this season so far. That goaltending tandem has looked shaky at times but is coming into their own and have played a series of strong games. 

Conclusion:The Avalanche are the best team in the league hands down, but they are also riding a wave of high PDO and unreal offense. No team is 100% perfect, the Avalanche come pretty close. If they keep up this tenacity, resilience, and ability to find a way then they will be in good shape to win the President’s Trophy again this year.

Introducing… Bucket lists!

By: Sofia Flores, Staff Photographer

Ever need ideas on what to do in your free time? Look no further! Here at The Highlander, we are going to be starting a new tradition. Every month, we will be publishing a monthly bucket list where you will be given ideas on what to do for each day. Of course, you will be given the option to pick what you want to do for the day. Once you have completed the task, post it on your Instagram story and include the hashtag #RUHighlander to be featured on our account. We would love to see your creations and can’t wait to see what y’all come up with! Have fun!

Beast

By: Blanca Hitchcock, Staff Writer

This beast is all consuming. It waits until I have shrugged off my clothes, brushing off the cold air and ice that has stuck to my dry skin.  

It waits in secret, letting me toss my shoes into their stale dusty pile.  

It waits patiently, while I scribble mindless notes on the cracked yellowing pages of my secondhand books. 

It waits while I furiously scrub off my insecurities in the scalding gray water that flows from the rusted showerhead. 

 It waits less patiently now, while I paint my face with numerous creams and sticky gels. 

It waits out in the open, as I slowly climb under my linted bedsheets. 

It waits until I see the black from the inside of my eyelids, and then the beast climbs on top of me. 

It’s boney claws scratch at my legs and arms, drawing blood on my neck. 

It creeps into my mind, consuming my matter. 

It inhabits my throat, swallowing the air meant for my lungs. 

It expands in the chamber of my heart, pulsating, throbbing, tearing. 

Finally, I swipe at the tears flowing down my patchy cheeks. 

Another night this beast has won. I will die tonight and be alive again when morning comes.  

Goodnight beast, I might miss you when I wake.  

In The Bachelor, We Trust

By: Sandra Vo, Staff Writer

As a melodramatic reality television show with a questionable premise and a hearty dose of misogyny, The Bachelor truly serves as a paradigm of American entertainment. For anybody unfamiliar with this show, The Bachelor essentially picks a multitude of women to compete for the heart of a handsome, eligible man who has been named as the “bachelor.” The show continues over multiple weeks, as the women and bachelor go on both group dates and one-on-one dates. At the end of the season, the bachelor will select one woman whom he can either propose to or simply continue a relationship with.

Like every reality television show based around romance, The Bachelor is packed to the brim with drama and problematic elements. A lot of the show centers around villainizing certain women (sometimes rightfully so), broadcasting contestants’ vulnerable moments to the entire nation, and purposefully generating conflict between the contestants. However, this is nothing new to those familiar with the world of reality television; every producer needs to get their ratings up somehow. So, why does Bachelor Nation (the nickname given to fans of The Bachelor) remain alive and well?

America’s obsession with this show makes complete sense when you think about it. Where else could you watch a show where a man will passionately confess his deep attraction to a woman and then make out with five different women immediately afterwards? What other television show could stir up so much drama over a bowl of shrimp? Could any other show top the insane way that the contestants will attempt to win over the bachelor? One woman introduced herself to this season’s bachelor, Clayton, by showing him a pillow plastered with a poorly cropped image of his face. In the scenes following, the cameras showed her passionately making out with the pillow.

On top of that, the producers of the show don’t ever miss out on a chance to strip down both the bachelor or the contestants (as proven by the latest episode’s beach scene and scavenger hunt through downtown Los Angeles in their underwear). Fans are almost always treated to a close up of a contestant’s thighs or the bachelor’s muscles between every ad break. 

While the show’s host always introduces the season as a way for the current bachelor to find love, any audience member can see that the show actively highlights the ludicrous nature of its own premise. Perhaps it’s this unintentionally satirical nature of the show that continues drawing viewers season after season.

Tips for Managing Stress

By: Labina Tasfia, Staff Writer

With the third week of the semester coming to an end and the classes picking up the pace, I wanted to focus on healthy ways to manage stress. It’s common to be stressed out with homework and assignments. I have been super anxious about a two-minute speech for my communication class recently, so much so that I couldn’t focus on anything else (public speaking is not my forte if you couldn’t tell). I realized many of you are probably going through something similar, if not now then maybe in the future. So, I wanted to provide some tips to help, even if only a little, with managing stress levels and mental health. Here are some things that have helped me throughout the years to keep my mental health positive and the stress under control.

Set up clear boundaries. Boundaries are extremely important if you want to maintain mental health. You need to set up boundaries for yourself and those around you, not according to the person you wish to become in the future, but the person you are now at present. You need your friends and family, and most importantly yourself, to know who you are, what you are capable of at the moment, and what your goals are. 

Set realistic goals. We all have things we want to accomplish in a day, but not all of them are realistic. That is why I recommend starting by making micro-goals, things you know you can accomplish today. After becoming more accustomed to following through with those micro-goals, start to make bigger goals. For example, what you want to accomplish in a week, then in a month and so on, but take it slow. If you can’t fulfil every single goal, don’t beat yourself up over it. Nothing is worth more than your happiness and mental health.

Plan out your day according to your goals. Planning out how you wish to go about your day can help motivate you. The plan doesn’t need to be precise, but it should give you a rough idea of what needs to be done by when. This way, you will be able to waste less time deciding what to do and have more time not only to work but also take breaks.

Always leave time for self-care. Taking care of your physical health is just as important as your grades. So, make self-care a priority. This doesn’t mean you need to force yourself to go to the gym almost every day. Taking time to do small things like brushing your hair, taking a hot shower (remember not to waste too much water though), and meditating at the end of a busy day can do wonders for your mental health and overall mood. If you go to sleep feeling relaxed, you can start your day feeling refreshed.

Practice gratitude. You deserve gratitude for all the hard work you do every day, and that is why you should always thank yourself at the end of the day for everything you accomplished. Being self-critical is good, but excessive criticism can do more harm than good. That is why instead of focusing too much on what you failed to do during the day, try to focus on what you did do. You can keep a notebook where you write down all the things you did that made you happy and the things you wish to improve in the future. Writing these down can have tremendous effect on not only your mental health but also your self-confidence.

These were some of the things that have helped me throughout the years, and I hope they help all of you too. Always remember, grades are important, but they aren’t worth sacrificing your mental health and well-being for. So, try to find a balance between the two that works best for you.