Film Review: THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH (2021): Joel Coen’s Shakespearean Film Is a Triumph for Denzel Washington

The Tragedy of Macbeth Review

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Joel Coen and starring Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Miles Anderson, Matt Helm, Moses Ingram, Kathryn Hunter, Scott Subiono, Brian Thompson, Lucas Barker, Stephen Root, Robert Gilbert, Ethan Hutchison and James Udom.

In filmmaker Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Denzel Washington plays, perhaps, his most crazed, power-hungry character since his Oscar-winning role in Training Day. The role of Macbeth is one Washington was born to play so it’s only appropriate that he gives one of his most career-defining performances in Coen’s new picture which takes some creative liberties with William Shakespeare’s work but doesn’t lose any of the story’s power in the process. Frances McDormand, as Lady Macbeth, also delivers a wickedly fine performance. One wouldn’t expect the very versatile McDormand to be anything less than brilliant in the role and she definitely lives up to audience expectations here.

Joel Coen’s new picture is in glorious black and white and is Coen’s first movie without Ethan by his side directing. Washington stars as Macbeth who is visited by witches who unveil a prophecy that he will soon be king. The witches are different here than we’ve ever seen them before. Kathryn Hunter is a triumph as the lead witch and the movie is creepily effective in the way it conveys the eerie witches on screen. I’ve never seen them so scary and the concept of the witches alongside black birds and other various visual motifs in the film make it one of the most hauntingly effective portrayals of Macbeth to date,

The supporting cast is uniformly perfect. Brendan Gleeson’s pivotal role as Duncan, King of Scotland, and Henry Melling as Malcom, Duncan’s son, take notable honors here as their characters challenge Macbeth immensely during the course of the film. Anybody who has read Shakespeare’s play knows the way the storyline develops and that there are countless characters who come and go in the piece, each with a specific purpose to the plot. Some will live and some will die in true Shakespearean tradition. Guards will turn up dead and are framed for specific crimes as the plot progresses but the less you know going in, the better especially considering all the new dazzling visions Coen adds to his script. Of particular interest is the film’s terrific use of fog to symbolize Macbeth’s ultimate downfall.

As Lady Macbeth who leads Macbeth on his journey to hell on earth by suggesting that he go down the path of committing murder, McDormand is quietly effective at times and at others, larger than life. McDormand takes total creative control of her character and never plays a false note. It’s no surprise she’s a three-time Academy Award winner. Watch how she conveys the characterization in the infamous sleepwalking scene late in the picture. McDormand is simply a genius in the craft of acting.

Another standout in the film is the perfectly cast Corey Hawkins as Macduff. Hawkins adds a considerable amount of depth to this famous role and it’s to Hawkins credit that he delivers the film’s most interesting and unique supporting performance throughout the picture with one of the more structured character roles in the film.

Denzel Washington, however, owns this film with his wickedly perfect performance as tragic hero Macbeth. Washington brings a sense of desperation to the part as well as the requisite humanity to make us understand why Macbeth thirsts for power. Washington will most likely get another Oscar nomination for his role here and rightfully so.

Joel Coen brings the film to a full boil with the visual flair displayed throughout the movie. This is one of the most original takes on Macbeth ever filmed. One can nitpick that the film is a little shorter than it could have been and that some of the actors don’t get as much screen time as they should get, but with Washington this great, it’s hard to notice.

The Tragedy of Macbeth is, quite simply, a one-of-a-kind experience with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand at the top of their game. You haven’t seen the play done quite like this before and it’s amazing to see Washington revel in his performance which is among his very best screen roles to date. As the movie progresses, each line and every monologue he delivers turns out to be better than the last one. Joel Coen has made a terrifically wicked film about the quest for power and its devastating consequences.

Rating: 9/10

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