The Tragedy of Macbeth is a film adaptation of a play by William Shakespeare starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. This is the first film directed by Joel Coen without the participation of his brother. The picture is likely to participate in the race for the award “Oscar”. Nominees have yet to be announced, but the drama is already available to watch on Apple TV+ after a limited theatrical release in the United States.

The film was produced by the independent American company A24, which helped Joel Coen keep the theatrical performance. For this, production designer Stefan Deschamps, who had experience in creating unique worlds ( Avatar and Alice in Wonderland ), was involved in the work.

Together they decided to shoot with an abstract castle, devoid of interior decorations that distract from the plot. This is how sets were designed using 3D modeling, in which you could experiment with lighting.

For the black-and-white film, cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel ( Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , Inside Llewyn Davis , Darkest Hour ) chose a square frame. He also made a special emphasis on the angles, with the help of which the growing madness of the protagonist is revealed.

The film features CGI, but Delbonnel relies more on the dark, oppressive effect of shadows cast by giant arches and tall windows. I also remember an interesting moment that brings the climax closer – the soldiers hide under the branches of trees, moving towards the royal castle, and the throne room is covered with leaves and turns into a forest, where a sword fight takes place.

Joel Coen did not make significant adjustments to the Shakespearean plot, his adaptation stands out only by the choice of actors for the main roles. In addition to Denzel Washington, the film starred black actors Corey Hawkins and Moses Ingram, who portrayed Macduff and his wife.

Otherwise, this is the same story about the commander Macbeth, whose life was changed by a meeting with witches. Believing in their prophecy, Macbeth enters into a conspiracy with his wife (played by Frances McDormand), who pushes him to kill. After becoming the new King of Scotland, Macbeth remembers a prediction that starts to drive him crazy.

Joel Coen is far from the first director to turn a play about Macbeth into a movie. In 1971, Roman Polanski presented his film adaptation, which was awarded the National Board of Film Critics of the United States. Apparently, the new picture will also qualify for cinematic awards (for example, IndieWire believes that Cohen’s work will receive several Oscar nominations).

Cohen was able to revive classic material by adding visual surrealism to it. The director made the biggest bet on the game of Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. But their acting duo, frankly, doesn’t make much of an impression.

Who is remembered in the film is the British actress Katherine Hunter, who portrayed a trinity of witches and an old man. She has been performing in the theater for many years, participating in experimental productions with non-standard performances. In Joel Coen’s film, the talented Hunter not only pronounces memorized lines, but also plays with her whole body, frightening with literally every movement. Who really deserves an acting award.

Alas, “Macbeth” is interesting only for the extraordinary presentation of the famous play. Otherwise, he loses to theatrical productions, where the lively emotions of the actors convey the essence of the tragedy that unfolded against the backdrop of the struggle for the royal throne.