Review of The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) by Prodriguez44 — 06 Feb 2022

The well-known film producer, Joel Coen, has recently released an adaption of a popular Shakespeare play “Tragedy of Macbeth” on Apple TV Plus and it is all the rave. With many Hollywood legends featured such as Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, Coen still manages to stay true to Shakespeare's fine work of art.

The brutalist architecture, the black and white film, and the original play lines demonstrate Coen’s attempt of maintaining the original ambitious and pernicious plot. Joel Coen uses Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's roles to highlight the corruption and human weakness seen today.

Coen does a remarkable job of portraying Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's sinful desires and lust for power. Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in providing consolation for Macbeth but is also detrimental to his mental state.

This is evident in the scene where Lady Macbeth and Macbeth argue on whether to kill King Duncan or not. Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's manhood for not wanting to kill King Duncan but she comforts him by reminding Macbeth that they would soon have everything they dreamed of.

When reading the play, some may have imagined a scene full of screaming and arguing however Coen depicts it differently. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's performance is much less exaggerated, the two whisper to each other to discuss their plans.

To many, this might have seemed like a disappointment but I believe Coen did this purposefully. The actor's calmness in this situation leaves the reader with a sense of eeriness and foreboding. Joel Coen knows just the right time to amp up the mood.

In Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking performance the viewers are forced to watch how her ambition has overtaken her, driving her mad. During this time, Macbeth also begins to lose his morality and conscience.

Although their insanity comes quickly it is well performed. In Joel Coen’s adaptation of “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, Lady Macbeth is depicted as one of the most important signs that Macbeth has lost control and his humanity.

This relationship duo keeps the viewers on their toes. The authenticity of this play and the chaotic plot was amazing. The actors did a great job of changing the viewer's mood, oftentimes leaving the readers to search for their own answers.

The moral of the story can be related to any era which is why many find this play engaging. The final scenes of the play left the viewers with satisfaction as we saw the good defeat the evil. Although there were some setbacks such as the actors' American accents the author this up with the mysterious setting and actors.