The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

A glorious visual spectacle that takes a uniquely realistic, cerebral take on Shakespeare

7.3

Movie

United States of America
English
Drama, Fantasy, War
2021
JOEL COEN
Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson
105 min

What it's about

Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself.

The take

Joel Coen's minimalist vision of the Scottish play emphasizes that these monstrous acts of hubris and violence are carried out not because of madness or magical prophecy, but out of the rational yet selfish decisions made by grown adults. It's a distinctly character-focused interpretation of Shakespeare that should be insightful for students and fans alike, as Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand lend more sedate performances to what have become two of the grandest characters in theater history. The Tragedy of Macbeth weaken the impact of some of Shakespeare's most famous soliloquies due to the film's more hurried runtime, but it makes for a great tribute nonetheless. Come for the stunningly lit black-and-white sets, stay for the gleefully creepy performance by Kathryn Hunter as the three witches.

Comments

Add a comment

What did you think? Who should watch it?

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Black Book (2023)

A Nigerian revenge thriller seeking justice against corrupt institutions

7.0

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

9.1

Smoke (1995)

A gorgeous indie gem whose every note is worth inhaling

8.7

Theater Camp (2023)

Made with obvious love, this riotous shot of mockumentary joy also has a surprisingly sincere heart

8.1

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

The Initiated (2023)

A Colombian neo-noir mystery that makes up for its narrative shortcuts with an intoxicating atmosphere.

7.1

Pauline at the Beach (1983)

A characteristically perceptive X-ray of human nature courtesy of a conversational movie master

8.4

A Silent Voice (2016)

A coming-of-age movie that circles around friendship and the atonement of a boy

8.7

Jaane Jaan (2023)

A Hindi thriller that keeps the suspense of Japanese novel

7.6

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2023 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.