The Tragedy of Macbeth a thriller based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. It is the story of a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. This foretelling, plus the encouragement from his wife, if acted upon, will soon change their life forever. The film stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand and Bertie Carvel.
The tone was artsy with the film being shot entirely in black and white. The cinematography of the sets and lighting were full of symbolism. The themes around mental health, specifically obsession, greed and the physical and mental effects of guilt were prevalent throughout.
The script is Shakespearian so it’s a bit hard to understand, it was as if this was pulled straight from the original play. Its historical context was loosely based on king Macbeth of Scotland whose reign was from 1040–1057. So one of my major critiques is that no one had a Scottish accent.
This type of drama appears to be Denzel’s wheelhouse. This is his second film adapted from a Shakespearian play and at least the third that he has had the lead in; the first two being A Solider’s Story and Fences. And just like with Fences, he is being praised for his work as Macbeth, with a number of acting nominations, which I do feel he is worthy of. He did a fantastic job showing the evolution of this man from a loyal servant to the crown to a paranoid tyrant.
Overall I appreciated the effort from an artistic standpoint, but this wasn’t really my kind of movie. If you are someone who enjoys a traditional storytelling from a Shakespearian perspective, this could be the movie for you.
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