The Tragedy of Macbeth

Starring: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Miles Anderson, Matt Helm, Moses Ingram, Kathryn Hunter, Stephen Root, Sean Patrick Thomas
Directed by: Joel Coen
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2021

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A Scottish lord (Denzel Washington) is told by three witches (Kathryn Hunter) that he will be the king of Scotland. He plots with his wife (Frances McDormand) for the current King's (Brendan Gleeson) demise.

Review:

Tim: Joel Coen went out and directed a Shakespeare adaptation without his brother, and it's an incredible achievement. The Tragedy of Macbeth is such a great film. My only worry is whether enough critics and viewers will support the movie. This is a film that could easily win multiple Academy Awards, but it wouldn't surprise me if it got shut out, either. Shakespeare doesn't seem like as big of a draw in 2021. I've long been a big fan of Shakespeare, but hearing characters speak his words requires work. This movie requires a lot of effort- to listen to what the characters are saying, translate it in your mind, while still paying attention to the film. I easily missed 50% of what the characters were saying- but I caught enough to follow the story. That's what it's like the first time with a Shakespearean play.

There's so much I loved about this movie. I want to start with the cinematography. The film is beautifully shot. The minimalism design gives the film this wonderful play-like quality. A few scenes really expand the scope, so it feels bigger than a play, and yet more intimate than your average movie. Shooting it in black and white was genius, it puts a hard edge on everything we see. The movie feels like it leaps out at you, everything is so stark and vivid. Coen's use of light and shadow is one of the best I've ever seen. I feel like I could write a whole review about how he used shadow to convey his story, whether that's cloaking evil spirits, or communicating something about the characters' inner demons. There's a few moments that feel a bit on-the-nose and I bet critics of this approach will leap on those. As a whole, though, I found this absolutely brilliant. Whether it's obscuring a character's face in shadow, or having one walk down a corridor in light, then shadow, then light, then shadow... it was beautifully depicted and it adds a whole additional layer onto the film.

A big reason to do Shakespeare is because it gives the cast a chance to raise their game, to tackle notoriously difficult performances. The cast here is superb. It starts with Denzel Washington, I'm convinced, one of the great actors of all time. I know he's made a lot of similar movies in his career and he's so routinely excellent in them that you can easily forget how talented he is. Washington reminds you here. Every gesture, his line delivery, the emotions, the movements- it's all brilliant. His performance of Macbeth is one of the finest I've seen. You sit and you watch an actor starting the third act of his career and you just marvel at the unbelievable talent he possesses. Washington absolutely deserves an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. What he does in this film is a triumph.

Frances McDormand has long been one of the most talented actresses working and she's removed any doubt of that over the past few years. Her work in Nomadland was excellent, winning her third Best Actress Academy Award. She may miss out on a nomination for this performance (it might not quite be big enough), but she would deservedly get a nomination. Her role of Lady Macbeth is chilling, a masterclass in acting. Seeing Washington and McDormand deliver Shakespeare's lines to each other was chillingly entertaining. McDormand was excellent here.

I loved seeing Brendan Gleeson as the King of Scotland. He has a small role, but he plays it to perfection. Corey Hawkins was surprisingly effective here, and I liked what Harry Melling did, too. Alex Hassell was especially memorable in a powerful supporting performance. Kathryn Hunter was uncomfortably frightening as the witches. The whole cast delivered strong performances.

I will say that I do tend to think the Coens are a bit overrated as directors. I like many of their movies, but many aren't that good, and yet critics just lap them up. That being said, Joel Coen proved to me here that he's an exceptional director and is capable of more than I thought. He truly does a fantastic job directing this film.

There's not a doubt in my mind that The Tragedy of Macbeth is one of the best movies of 2021. It takes a very old play and makes it feel vibrant and timely. The drama and suspense are incredible, the acting top notch, and on top of that, Coen directs a brilliantly shot, beautiful movie. I loved this film and it's not just one of the best films of the year, it's one of the best Shakespeare adaptations I've seen, ever.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Henry V, Hamlet