Director Joel Coen has a wildly varied
filmography (Miller's Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old
Men) and he's made another dramatic gear shift with The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Based on Shakespeare's classic play, The
Tragedy of Macbeth tells the story of Scottish lord Macbeth (Denzel
Washington), whose ambition leads him to murder the king (Brendan Gleeson).
Macbeth's wife (Frances McDormand) enthusiastically encourages the murder plot.
If you've ever read the play or seen it
performed on stage, chances are you know going in if you will find this
worthwhile. My biggest criticism is one I would also level at the play. Macbeth
is one of Shakespeare's least sympathetic tragic leads. He is a greedy
murderer, and it's hard to care much about what happens to him or his wife at
the end of the play.
However, much of the dialogue remains
strong (the "tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech is still chilling).
Washington and McDormand, as expected, do fine work in the lead roles. And
Coen's use of black and white photography, combined with a sparse staging,
gives the film a visually striking look. The characters may leave you cold, but
the images will stick in your mind for a while.
