2021 Movie
Dir. Joel Coen · United States of America · English
A glorious visual spectacle that takes a uniquely realistic, cerebral take on Shakespeare
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.
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.
"Visceral, haunted and severe, Coen's vision coaxes out not just the intensity in the play - every "gritty" take has done this, from Roman Polanski to Justin Kurzel - but its older renderings too."
— Charles Bramesco
"Macbeth becomes, like so many of the Coens' protagonists, a character trapped in his own fixations and failings, the concave world onscreen a reflection of the self he can't escape."
— Alison Willmore
Oscars
3 noms
Golden Globes
2 noms
BAFTA
1 nom
SAG Awards
1 nom
Nat. Board of Review
3 wins
NYFCC
1 win
Emil Hofileña is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. He also writes as a theater critic, with work published in Rogue and Out of Print, among others. He’s probably crying over a movie or an episode as we speak.
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