By: Andrew Wing

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a 2021 American historical thriller film written and directed by Joel Coen and based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. It is the first film directed by one of the Coen brothers (Fargo, No Country for Old Men) without the other’s involvement. The film stars Denzel Washington (Malcolm X, Training Day, Fences) in the lead role as the titular Macbeth, Frances McDormand (Fargo, Nomadland) who also produced the film alongside her husband Joel Coen, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell (Suburbicon, The Red Sea Diving Resort), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, In the Heights), Harry Melling (Harry Potter films, The Old Guard), Kathryn Hunter, and Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter films, In Bruges).

The Tragedy of Macbeth had its world premiere at the 2021 New York Film Festival on September 24, 2021. It had a limited theatrical release on December 25, 2021, by A24, before hitting streaming on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022. It also was named one of the top ten films of 2021 by the National Board of Review and American Film Institute.

THE GOOD

Just a little PSA before getting into this review, I am not and will not pretend to be an expert on Shakespeare. Outside of reading Romeo and Juliet in my sophomore English class and doing a quick SparkNotes read on Macbeth, Shakespeare is foreign to me. Nevertheless, this was easily one of my most anticipated films of the year. Why you might ask? The Coen brothers are probably right up there with Denis Villeneuve as my favorite directors, but this specific project was so enticing because it is the first film directed by one of the Coen brothers (Joel) without the other’s (Ethan) involvement. Also, the two headliners for the film are arguably the best actor and actress living today in Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. So I guess you could say I was pretty pumped for this one, but now let’s find out if it met my high expectations!

There are only one or two Coen brother’s films I have yet to see, but everyone I have seen I have greatly enjoyed. Fargo and No Country of Old Men are two of my all-time favorite movies, and I just love everything they are as filmmakers. It was so crazy to see that the two weren’t going to be working together on this, but with that said, Joel absolutely knocked it out of the park. I loved how he decided to highlight and draw attention to the darker and more surreal aspects of the play unlike other film adaptations I have seen about Macbeth. You could tell instantly by watching that Joel Coen has an immense passion for Shakespeare, so much so that he actually realized Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a more true way than we have ever seen before. Joel Coen just continues to cement his legacy of one of the greatest living filmmakers alive today.

It was very easy to expect greatness from the two big names attached to this in Washington and McDormand, and yes they were great, but their performances were also extremely compelling. Denzel as Lord Macbeth was just very impressive and as an actor, he continues to surpass expectations. He was magnificent here, even in moments I didn’t know exactly what he was saying, I was still compelled by how he was saying things. I really liked how we got to see his character's vulnerability because Macbeth is someone who has a conscience, and we see that after betraying his conscience, it eats him alive. As for McDormand, she was also remarkable in what is her first film role since winning Best Actress for Nomadland (see my full review here). McDormand plays Lady Macbeth as this very down to earth person, but still as fierce as you can imagine. Her screen time wasn’t nearly as much as Washington’s, but she still gives us so much from every little facial expression and every line of dialogue throughout. This movie is definitely a Denzel Washington-Frances McDormand show, and it did not disappoint!

As for the supporting performances, Kathryn Hunter was the one who really stood out as she played the three witches and also an old man. Her voice is just so maniacal and the physicality of her performance was kind of scary. It was just such an odd performance that worked perfectly for this movie and she just steals the show in every scene she is in. Speaking of maniacal voices, Harry Melling was good in this in small bits as he just continues to play characters most viewers aren’t going to like (dating back to Dudley from the Harry Potter films). Corey Hawkins was also good in this as Macduff, but he just doesn’t stand out as much given his limited screen time.

This was one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen. There was just a lot of cool stuff with the visuals and the film just had its own atmosphere with the flawless black and white cinematography from Bruno Delbonnel. It was absolutely beautiful and the minimalist production design kept me more than engaged from beginning to end. It’s crazy to say that it was minimalist when the set for the film was just massive, but it really is. The lighting also helped the film’s surreal feel and it was just obvious to me as a viewer that this was expertly crafted. I also liked all the use of mist in this movie and how they used mist as transitions into the next scene. Joel Coen and Delbonnel just created their own world in this movie and boy oh boy, was it a beautiful one.

As for this film’s Oscar chances, Denzel Washington is an absolute lock to get nominated for Best Actor, and Frances McDormand could too depending on whether she gets run as lead or supporting. Joel Coen should also get some nominations for both directing and his adapted screenplay given that it is Shakespeare. The cinematography is also locked in to get nominated and I really think it should win. Delbonnel is also very due given his past works that got nominated but came up just short: Amélie, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Darkest Hour. The production design is also quite possible because despite it not being too over the top, it just holds a huge presence in the film and it is the best use of production design I’ve seen this year if I am being honest as it just added so much weight to the film.

The sound in this movie is also brilliant with all the knocking, so maybe it’s possible it could get a sound nomination. Carter Burwell’s score is really good too as they blended the score into the film, but there have just been so many good scores in 2021 that I don’t think it’s possible. In conclusion, I really liked this movie anyway, even in moments where I was kind of lost in what exactly was being said, and I would like to see it sneak in as one of the ten nominees for Best Picture. However, I think it probably misses because Shakespeare isn’t enough people’s “thing” which is unfortunate.

THE BAD

There is nothing “bad” about this movie. It’s got everything from the technical side of things to the biggest names from the film world attached, but at the end of the day, it is hard core Shakespeare. Every line of dialogue in this film is Shakespearean English through and through. A lot of people will have a hard time with that, just as I did, but once you get over that mental block, you will follow the movie very well and realize just how masterful a film it is.

Also, the film is completely shot in black and white, so there is another warning before deciding to check it out. You really should check it out though because it is some of the most incredible cinematography I have ever seen, and that is saying a lot as I have watched way too many movies.

THE VERDICT

Despite the film’s Shakespearean dialogue from start to finish that will come across as a barrier to most viewers, The Tragedy of Macbeth is absolutely worth the trouble! For the first time without the involvement of his brother Ethan, Joel Coen brings Shakespeare’s Macbeth to life in a thrillingly modern and dark way that is a striking cinematic work of art with Bruno Delbonnel’s flawless black & white cinematography.

It also features great performances from two living legends of the film industry in Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. Denzel will most likely be getting his seventh Best Actor nomination as he just commands the screen with anger and torment from start to finish, and McDormand’s fierce portrayal of Lady Macbeth is also nomination-worthy.