Review of The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) by Lsap — 04 Feb 2022

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a Shakespearean play reimagined. Shot in a silvery black and white image with a simplistic set which pulls us into the action as if we were seeing it on stage. The film's staging allows the audience to focus solely on the script, with simplistic background imagery that doesn’t allow for any distractions.

The opening scene with the birds, which then reappears later in the film during the banquet scene, was beautiful; they give the audience an eerie feeling that leads to us meeting one of the witches. She appears, and she gives off an otherworldliness to her appearance and her voice as if she came from a dark place Macbeth should fear.

The use of the water to show the appearance of the other two witches was a fantastic addition to the film. On top of the black and white aspect, it portrayed the witches as daunting figures that you shouldn’t trust.

Kathryn Hunter, who performed the witch, was a standout actress for me and one of the better choices in actors. The director's choice of actors was hit and miss for me. Denzel Washington was an outstanding actor and portrayed his lines beautifully.

Age-wise, he is a miss. Deciding to have an old Macbeth doesn’t seem logical to me. In the play, he was a young thane of Glamis, but he wouldn’t have that same ambition and drive as such an older man.

With that, I also don’t feel that Frances McDormand was the best Lady Macbeth they could’ve chosen. I don't think she's terrible in this film, but she never quite grasped the full weight of Lady Macbeth.

With her being my favorite character from the play, it was disappointing because I know that they could’ve shown the true Lady Macbeth with her strong, ruthless, and ambitious attitude. Even more so than Macbeth, I'd argue that Lady Macbeth's struggle is even more significant than any character.

While also trying to maintain a womanly figure for Macbeth, her desire for power is an exciting concept that was completely missing from this adaptation. Overall, If I were to grade this film from an A+ to an F, I would give it a B-.

The film's visual simplicity was impeccable with the black and white imagery, which sets the eerie tone for the rest of the movie. The visuals were probably the most impressive thing about the film. The choice of actors and the delivery of their lines was disappointing and didn’t do Shakespeare justice.