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

Joel Coen's debut solo film, "The Tragedy of Macbeth", is an unworldly and breathtaking visual sensation. Although it may be pleasing to the eye, following the actual storyline is as entertaining as watching paint dry.

Coen sets a mature and serene yet unnatural and disorienting tone by utilizing black and white film, saturation, lighting, and a minimalistic set. The shadowing and lack of detail in the set are meant to pull focus towards the characters but they do quite the opposite.

These non-detail details are the most engaging aspects of the entire film. The far-off, close-up, and overhead shots also serve as beautiful distractions to boring acting. But in addition to diverting attention, these shots don't even serve an actual purpose.

All they do is give Coen's ideas a sense of narcissistic prestige. They belong in a photography portfolio rather than a film. The effort Coen put in to creating his vision of Macbeth's unhinged world should be recognized, however, his crafted world is stationary and therefore does not allow the characters to embark on the explosive and chaotic decent that is expected from Shakespeare's "Macbeth".

Macbeth, portrayed by Denzel Washington, mirrors the calm set by rendering a fairly calm temperament not only in the beginning, but throughout the entire movie. The internal struggle Macbeth faces when deliberating whether or not to kill Duncan is not shown on Washington's face as he recites the famous dagger soliloquy.

The scene in which Macbeth hallucinates Banquo's ghost is a turning point in the original story. The same is not true for Coen's adaptation. Denzel unconvincingly freaks out then moves on to the next scene.

Francis McDormand's portrayal of Lady Macbeth was also anything but riveting. When speaking of killing her own flesh and blood, Lady Macbeth seems nonchalant and unconvincing. When she is sleep walking, McDormand's character seems just as underwhelming as before.

Both characters went through the motions but showed no depth or adequate rage as they are written in Shakespeare's "Macbeth". While Coen's vision was visually gorgeous, it created an emotional barrier between the characters and the audience.

Overall, "The Tragedy of Macbeth" deserves a C-.