This tragedy full of sound and fury is not told by an idiot.
In his first solo outing without his brother, writer and director Joel Coen provides “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” It received a small theatrical release on Dec. 25 before its move to Apple TV+ on Jan. 14.
The film follows the classic tale of Macbeth as he returns from a great victory for King Duncan of Scotland. Upon his return, he meets three witches who deliver a prophecy of great proportions. What follows is Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as they descend into madness while they struggle to maintain power over those around them.
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a classic, yet fresh, take on the Shakespeare play. It’s excellent performances bleed into the otherworldly and huge environment of the film’s setting, coupled with gorgeous cinematography to create a truly outstanding film.
Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand star as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Their takes on the roles are fascinating and breathtaking. They are able to portray the complexities of the characters while putting their own touches as actors into the roles. McDormand especially blends sophistication, intelligence and guilt into her Lady Macbeth. Along with her, Washington’s slow descent into tyranny and madness is seamless, and his final act in this film is one of his finest.
Along with them, the film sees the likes of Corey Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling and Bertie Carvel, as well as many more, in the supporting roles. Everyone performs well, making it feel like a Shakespeare play through and through. But, the true standout is Kathryn Hunter as the witches. She puts her body, voice and soul into the performance, and it captures the audience’s attention every time she enters the screen. It’s incredible.
For the most part, this is a straight adaptation of the play, adding more visual imagery to the text. In that vein, it leans heavily into the original dialogue, which can be easy to get lost in at times. To be honest, I felt confused at times — which means that I need to absorb more Shakespeare. But even when it might get confusing, the story is still relatively easy to follow and pick up on the context clues of the scene and plot. This will definitely be a film that rewards repeat viewings.
That being said, the film is absolutely gorgeous to watch. The film is shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio in black and white, and it looks stunning. Joel Coen and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel use every bit of the frame to tell this story, with a mastery of blocking and shown information being utilized. On top of that, the deep shadows mixed with the long stretches of light just look incredible. It creates a grand experience.
Working right alongside that, the sets of the film are both huge in scale and shot entirely on sound stages. Because of this, the film feels like a play at many times, while also carrying this unearthly weight upon the characters and plot as it seems to be otherworldly, as if these miniscule characters are merely acting within something larger than themselves. This works well to make the experience of watching the film unique and mesmerizing.
The sound and score play a large part in creating this unique feeling with the cinematography and set designs. While capturing the subtle, breathy dialogue of the actors, the sound design is terrifying at times, as birds screech across the screen or large thunderous doors are thrust open. There is also a pervasive and maddening rhythmic thumping that plays a central role in the film that is phenomenal in how it sounds.
The score is a mixture of haunting strings, subtle tones and grand orchestral pieces. It works in tandem with the sound to feed into the slowing decay of madness that overtakes the characters, especially the repeating rhythms.
Finally, the editing is near perfect, with a great tempo that carries throughout the film. There are several transitions from scene to scene that are impeccable. Specifically, there’s an early transition from a scene with Macbeth to a scene with Lady Macbeth that uses the wall to move into the hall of his castle. It absolutely floored me.
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a classic and excellent adaptation of Shakespeare. It uses the medium of film as well as classic studio techniques to bring the story to the screen, and it works wonders at times.
This film is not necessarily for the faint of heart, especially if you don’t like classic Shakespeare. It’s not trying to be a modern adaptation, which in and of itself is somewhat refreshing. It mostly feels like an excellent production put on by a prestigious playhouse.
But if you’re willing to stick with it and its weighty text, it’s sure to deliver an incredible experience. The lighting and camera work mixed with the sets and sound stage look work to create a dreamlike, visceral retelling of the classic play. It might be worth it more for some to watch it when it comes out on Apple TV+ on Jan. 14.
It’s especially worth it to watch Kathryn Hunter contort her body as she delivers prophecies. It’s one of the best supporting performances in a film from last year.
4.5 of 5 Torches
