Joel Coen’s first solo film without his brother, Ethan Coen, has been sending shock waves throughout the film world. Many critics were quick to question if the film would stick to the direct narrative of the play or take up a sense of creative freedom. After the film’s release date of December 25, raving reviews of the film came flooding in. Cinephiles from far and wide agree this film truly is a masterpiece. It was able to convey the true art of a Shakespearean play while also incorporating stylistic filming as well.
As for my take on the film, I believe that the simplicity of the setting in which it was filmed worked entirely to its benefit. The lack of fluff or unnecessary costume enhancement/set designs was probably one of the best things the movie has going for itself. It is used in a way in that when the characters are delivering riveting monologs the focus is completely on their words. This is something that is difficult to do in films these days, especially when the character is chanting in Shakespearean prose. The simplicity of the set design is arguably one of the biggest strengths this film has.
As for another huge strength, the cast seems to have been hand-selected by Shakespear himself (if he lived in the modern ages that is). Casting Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth might have just been one of the most amazing casting choices since Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver”. She perfectly embodied Lady Macbeth and was able to deliver her monolog in such a twisted warped way, the lines themselves seemed to have been personified and acting of their own accord. The Wicked Sisters were absolutely horrifying, something that I was happy to see as I was nervous their portrayal would not be able to capture their absolute wickedness. I was amazed to find myself actually nervous every time they came on the screen, something that I was in no way expecting.
The film itself branched out from the norm of Shakespearean type casting and decided to take on a more diverse approach when finding it’s lead. Denzel Washington as the part of Macbeth himself stated in an interview that, “obviously we [cast] are diverse, so I think that’s a great thing,” but argued that “we ought to be at a place where diversity shouldn’t even be mentioned like it’s something special.”
Cast as Macbeth, Denzel Washington had to embody one of Shakespear’s more unhinged characters, and he gamely stepped up to the challenge. Not only did Washington succeed in this role, but he might also be the strongest portrayal of Macbeth in film thus far.
I would say that the “Tragedy of Macbeth” was a great adaptation of Shakespear’s “Macbeth”, and accurately captured the nuisances of every single character. It was a strong portrayal of the play itself and provided a great cinematic experience for film lovers everywhere.
