The Tragedy of Macbeth – Movie Review
105 Minutes, Rated R
Written and Directed by Joel Coen (based on the play by William Shakespeare)
Synopsis:
A Scottish lord becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland, and his ambitious wife supports him in his plans of seizing power.
You know, in addition to one of the hosts of VSMP having gone to film school, one of us got an English Literature degree.
True story.
Imagine both our delights, then, when A24 gifted us this wonderful little number based on the play by William Shakespeare.
Sure, sure, I enjoyed the Greek tragedies more than the Shakespearean stuff, but still… Shakespeare!
Adapted and directed by Joel Coen (half of the Coen Brothers), The Tragedy of Macbeth is the story of the titular Scottish lord who, after a battle against rebels and an encounter with a witchy trinity (played by Kathryn Hunter in one of the creepiest portrayals of the year…), believes that he is destined to become King of Scotland (despite not being anywhere in the line of succession).
A quick series of events, and Macbeth finds himself 2 steps away from the throne, and his wife, now apprised of the prophesy, takes matters into her own ambitious hands to complete her husband’s ascension.
After that… well… things don’t go well, as you might expect.
Shot in stark black and white (almost Frank Miller’s Sin City style), Coen constructs the film with sets of almost minimalist reality, at times seeming more impressionistic than real, as our characters, mostly depicted as black and white archetypes themselves, move and “strut their hour upon the stage,” if you will, playing out the events which must happen for the prophesy to be fulfilled.
And, like most prophesies, one is left to wonder if it would have happened at all if no one had been privy to it in the first place.
Hence my love for the Greek tragedies.
Denzel Washington (a two-time Oscar winner), as Macbeth, reminds us that, for all his unforgettable action roles, he was and still is an incredible, classically trained actor.
Pairing him with Frances McDormand (herself a three-time Best Actress Oscar winner), Coen creates a vortex of creative energy of nearly unlimited power.
The scenes the two share are so natural and beautifully presented as to almost be unfair to other films, while their individual soliloquies remind everyone of the power and timelessness of Shakespeare’s work.
Speaking of Shakespeare (right?), Coen makes the conscious choice to not change the language or update the setting, instead opting to give the audience a straight presentation of the source material, though he does strip away some “unnecessary” (what?) bits to bring the film down to a more manageable cinematic runtime.
But the overall effect is the same: two master thespians bringing the work of a (the?) master wordsmith to life as written, in a version that both captures the stage feel of the work without openly limiting itself to that presentation.
The supporting cast is great, though perhaps overshadowed a bit by the two titans at the top of the bill.
I’m sure they were sad about having to take a back seat to Denzel and Frances, lol.
Truly, though, this is an incredible bit of cinema for any fan.
Listen as we discuss the film further.
The Tragedy of Macbeth opens in theaters on December 25 and on Apple TV+ January 14.
The Tragedy of Macbeth stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Brendan Gleeson, Moses Ingram, and Kathryn Hunter.
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