The Tragedy of Macbeth — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
I’ll admit right off the top that I’m personally not a huge fan of Shakespearean dialogue on film. Not that I find it bad in any way, it’s just not something that grabs my attention. It’s simply not for me and that’s okay. With that said, I was still very interested in The Tragedy of Macbeth, both since I heard Joel Coen was writing and directing, but also due to the fact that the trailers visually blew me away. Coming from someone who doesn’t find themself attracted to this type of dialogue, The Tragedy of Macbeth is still one of my favourite films of 2021.
The film begins with Macbeth (Denzel Washington) believing he is the next King of Scotland. Never given any real definitive proof that he will be, he makes it his mission to seek it out anyway, regardless of what that entails. Blood must be shed in order to accomplish what he desires and he is supported by his wife Lady Macbeth (Francis McDormand) throughout these endeavours. I very briefly know the story of Macbeth, having only read the play when I was young, but for those who are unaware, this film very carefully takes the highlights of the story to make the film. It never feels overlong and the dialogue kept me engaged from start to finish (that was very surprising to me).
Yes, the dialogue won me over and that impressed me, but the true reason I loved this film as much as I did is within the fact that this is some of the best acting I’ve seen all year. Denzel Washington commands the screen here as always and Francis McDormand never fails either. Having only seen Corey Hawkins in a handful of things, his portrayal of Macduff here was also stellar. From the first couple of scenes, I was immersed in this world. The dialogue was captivating (and again, I don’t even like it).
Not only did The Tragedy of Macbeth have superb performances, but I truly believe this has some of the best camerawork I’ll probably see throughout this decade. In striking Black and White, cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel outdid himself here. I was impressed by his work on Inside Llewyn Davis and even though I definitely have to see more from his filmography, I still think he’s one of the best out there right now, especially after watching this. The camera was basically its own character in the film, and I haven’t been able to say that about many films lately. It was like watching a moving painting. It was art at its finest.
Overall, The Tragedy of Macbeth isn’t a film I’ll watch over and over again, simply due to the fact that this material doesn’t interest me all that much, but I can’t deny how good it truly is. Even the direction by Joel Coen was some of the best work he has ever done as well, and that’s saying a lot. There is much to admire here. Now streaming on Apple TV+, I highly recommend checking this one out, even for non-Shakespeare fans. What a visual experience this was.
Rating: 4.5/5
Check out the trailer below:
