Review: Joel Coen's 'Macbeth' is an expressionistic masterpiece
The Tragedy of Macbeth
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Joel Coen
Writers: Joel Coen, William Shakespeare
Starring: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Brendan Gleeson, Kathryn Hunter
Genre: Drama
Rated: R for violence
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) – Synopsis: Macbeth, a Scottish general, is told by a trio of witches that he will become King of Scotland, but it is the heirs of Banquo, a fellow general and friend of Macbeth, will also be kings.
Review: “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is a story of ambition and, perhaps, self-determination. Macbeth is, after all, a loyal general to Duncan, the King of Scotland. His desire to be king is but a distant thought until he is visited by three witches who greet him with titles he has yet to earn and foretell his ascent to the Scottish throne.
Pushed to the forefront, Macbeth becomes obsessed with the prophecy. He writes to tell his wife of the strange, wonderful path that has been place before him. She, a woman who desires all that is out of reach, presses her husband to kill Duncan and usurp the crown.
There is dark magic in “The Scottish Play” and that’s one of the reasons it captured my attention in my early teens. Macbeth’s Act 2 soliloquy, “Is this a dagger which I see before me” was my audition piece for my middle school theater class. Though, to be completely honest, it was always Lady Macbeth and the witches that fascinated me.
Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is the second time I’ve revisited the Shakespearian text this year. The first came in London’s Almeida Theatre with Yaël Farber directing James McArdle and Saoirse Ronan in the leading roles. It was good, not quite transcendent. Coen’s adaptation with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormandis.
Coen has stripped back the text to its essentials, streamlined the narrative without losing the sense of wonder, dread, and doom. This is largely due to Kathryn Hunter, who plays all the witches. She’s perfect, a writhing, contorted creature. The stuff that nightmares are born from.
Which brings us to Denzel Washington’s performance as Macbeth, the man living the nightmare. To say that Washington is underappreciated might sound a bit strange. He’s had an incredibly successful career. He’s been nominated for 8 Oscars. He won two. And yet, just when I think I know him, he delivers a performance that reminds me of his incredible range. Macbeth is unstable, a man who swings from extremes. Confident, self-assured in one moment and a completely distraught and broken the next. Washington makes these transitions believable. The madness is palpable.
McDormand’s Lady Macbeth is equally as fascinating as she captures both haves of a woman driven by and then ultimately destroyed by her ambition. Where Ronan’s performance in London felt too restrained, McDormand feels appropriately unhinged. Without Lady Macbeth’s influence Macbeth might not become the villain. She propels their actions.
Or, maybe, they are simply pawns in the witches’ game of fate. Possessed by something sinister, dark, and truly evil.
I’d be remiss not to mention the film’s expressionistic art design. It’s caught somewhere between "The Seventh Seal" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” with its black and white cinematography and stark sets.
"The Tragedy of Macbeth" is gorgeous, simple, provocative, full of emotion, and entirely effective.
In select theaters now, and will premier on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.