Year of Release: 2021
Director: Joel Coen
Screenplay: Joel Coen, based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Starring: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Brendan Gleeson, Kathryn Hunter
Running Time: 105 minutes
Genre: Drama, thriller, horror
After distinguishing himself in battle, the Scottish Lord Macbeth (Washington) encounters three witches (Hunter) who inform him that he is destined to become King of Scotland. With the help of his ambitious wife (McDormand), Macbeth embarks on a treacherous and violent campaign to fulfil his destiny.
Directed by Joel Coen, working for the first time without his brother Ethan, this is a striking adaptation of one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. Sticking closely to the text, the film is shot entirely on soundstages in crisp black-and-white, with stylised sets, turning it into a surreal nightmare. Denzel Washington turns in a fantastic performance as Macbeth, charismatic and noble to begin with, before descending into murderous paranoia, while also conveying his guilt, self-torment and world-weariness. Frances McDormand turns in a brittle, icy Lady Macbeth, who seems too turn into a living ghost as she falls apart. Coen directs with assurance and imagination, making this version of the oft-told tale genuinely distinctive, particularly casting Kathryn Hunter as all three of the witches, she turns on a remarkable physical performance, sometimes seeming to portray the three characters in one body, while at other times, the other two witches appear as shadows or reflections beside her. This is a superb addition to Shakespearean cinema.
Macbeth (Denzel Washington) and Banquo (Bertie Carvel) in The Tragedy of Macbeth
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