‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ review: Beautifully filmed and artful in its craft

Apple TV+ recently dropped the Denzel Washington-led film The Tragedy of Macbeth. The film is based on the play by William Shakespeare and is captained by Joel Coen without the help of his brother Ethan. Macbeth is a Lord and becomes jealous that he bestows the throne to his son Malcolm.

Frances McDormand, Corey Hawkins, and Harry Melling, are the supporting cast that Coen has assembled for the stage of cinema.

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Here is why Macbeth proves to be an illustrious film for a whole new generation of movie-goers.

Note: This article reflects the writer’s opinions.

Macbeth is Marvelous

The cast is amazing

Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand (Image via Apple TV)

With such beautifully written source material, it only makes sense to have actors best suited for their roles, and the standout player proves to be Denzel Washington. To be fair, hearing that Denzel Washington would be playing the title character might have tilted a few heads, but the actor makes effective use of the writing in an overzealous performance.

Frances McDormand plays Lady Macbeth with such elegance and grace, yet a stern attitude is what besets her character. She is cunning and tortured, yet remains civil when seen in public. The matching of Washington and McDormand is almost a match made in heaven.

The cinematography is stellar

The one thing that has stood out about this film is its desaturated black and white cinematography. What looks like a film that might have been shot in the 1950s uses its color--or lack thereof--to produce a dark and brooding film mixing beautifully shot scenes. It incorporates hints of German expressionism that was first seen in movies like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis. It's so artistic and gothic that it almost feels like a Tim Burton film.

Many of the characters’ faces are covered in shadows indicating their prejudice, the dutch angles are used to display a certain unease in the air and the incessant fog shrouds its witches in mystery and suspense, which all culminate into a frightening portrait of greed and sin.

The themes are resonant

While many people in modern times find the language of Shakespeare difficult to fully comprehend, the themes are, nevertheless, bold and potent in their delivery. The film shows what happens when a man is overcome with avarice, pride and jealousy. His ego was his ultimate downfall and the theme takes center stage and prides itself on the lack of humility in a man.

Understanding that everyone has some sort of achilles heel, which may usually be their hubris, is something that may be able to humble others.