Review: The Tragedy of Macbeth (2022)
Joel Coen’s adaptation of the Shakespearean play starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand leans into noirish interpretation, but fails at many levels.
Joel Coen’s ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’ seems to be in the race for the Academy Awards this year. The film, a first made by Joel without his brother, leans into a noir-ish interpretation (like many of his films) however does not seem to hit the right mark with today’s audience.
It’s shot beautifully in gothic black and white by Bruno Delbonnel, who has also done a fabulous job with his framing. For instance, the opening shot of the three witches, which show the reflection of the two witches, seems to bring out a feeling of dark magic. The symmetry throughout the framing also reminded a lot of Wes Anderson’s films.
Bruno Delbonnel uses a lot of symmetry and low angles in his framing for the film ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth.’
The play, which was first performed 415 years ago, is quite well known. Hence, it is spoiler- free. Three witches tell the Scottish general Macbeth that he will be King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the ruling King Duncan, becomes the new king, and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more death.
This “Macbeth” is as much about mood as it is about verse. The visuals acknowledge this, pulling us into the action as if we were seeing it on stage. The use of spot-lights and transitions of clouds fading, seem almost as if the stage is a revolving one, and we’re in the dress circle. The moody score by the Carter Burwell, and incredible (and obviously fake) sets designed by Stefan Dechant, also add to the moody tone that will surely transport you back to the Shakespearan era!
Kathryn Hunter’s revelatory performance as the witches is phenomenal, and will surely stay with you for a long time. There’s an otherworldliness to her appearance and her voice, as if she came from a dark place Macbeth should fear. Coen’s depiction of her cauldron bubbling is a visual spectacle. You will have a hard time forgetting her work.
However, despite all this, this tragedy ends up as one itself.
The characters seem too stiff. McDormand as Lady Macbeth, does not fully shake off into character. We have seen better Lady Macbeths (like Isuzu Yamada in Akira Kurosawa’s adaptation), and McDormand surely knows how to pull it off, but hasn’t taken an effort to incorporate such nuances in her character.
Isuzu Yamada as Lady Macbeth (L) in Aira Kurosawa’s adaptation; Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth (R) in Joel Coen’s adaptation.
Additionally, the characters and dialogues in many scenes seem too ‘staged’. Theatre is all about characters and how they interact with each other. The film tries to do that, but maintains its dialogues to soliloquys. There isn’t much character interaction, which I would’ve loved to see – especially in the characters of Washington and McDormand.
Another reason why this film does not hit its mark is the language. The entire film is in Shakespearean language, making it quite difficult for today’s audience to understand.
I remember while studying Shakespeare in school, I would make so many notes and sub-notes because that’s what Shakespeare is all about – reading between the lines. Coen fails on many levels to bring out any subtext of the play, keeping it purely as a script adaptation. This film is clearly not for beginners who want to get introduced to the world of Shakespeare.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is now streaming on Apple TV.
