“The Tragedy of Macbeth” Is Haunting & Hypnotic
Joel Coen’s mesmerizing adaptation is Shakespeare as its never been seen before
There’s a knocking at the gate. It echos and permeates in the stillness. Like the sound of boots on tile. Like a steady drip of water in a murky pool. Like the crunch of an axe against a tree. Like a muffled clanging from a hidden clock. Like the march of a distant army.
Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth takes the conventions of a stage-to-film adaptation and turns them on their head. It excels in its minimalist but deeply evocative visuals, using striking contrasts of light and shadow and sharp, angular production design to decorate this crisp and creepy atmosphere. The camera, for the most part, remains static or moves slowly along flat plains parallel to the scene, allowing the look of the film to remain recognizably rooted in its theatrical origins.
Along with the visuals, the performances in The Tragedy of Macbeth deserve direct recognition. It most likely hosts the best ensemble performances of the past year, as the entire cast has a intimate and distinguishable chemistry with each other. The highlights, of course, are Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, who deliver fascinating and nuanced versions of the characters, mesmerizing enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen for the duration of the film.
Lastly, one of the most stirring aspects of Macbeth is the soundscape. The movie has a pulse, a chilling rhythm that pierces the scenes of the film. It creates a never-ceasing tension that builds to one of the most haunting and satisfying conclusions in film this year. It gives Macbeth a heartbeat, bringing it to life. But the eeriest part of this pulse is not the throttling echo, but rather the space in between. The stillness and the unsettling anticipation of the next beat. The morbid curiosity about what lurks in the next shadow. The deep breath before the plunge. There’s a knocking at the gate.
OVERALL SCORE: 9/10
The Tragedy of Macbeth was released on January 14, 2021 and is currently streaming on AppleTV+.
2021 film ranking update: The Tragedy of Macbeth now places at #5 on my list.