Item: The Tragedy of Macbeth
Rating: 10
Author: Matt Rooney

PLOT: This adaptation of the William Shakespeare classic follows a lord and his wife as they seize the power of the Scottish throne for themselves.

REVIEW: Over the centuries there has been no shortage of adaptations of one of William Shakespeare’s most notable works — “Macbeth”. Even on the screen, there have been tons of takes on the material, such as Orson Welles’ 1948 film, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood in 1957, and even Justin Kurzel’s 2015 take with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. With so many different visions between stage and screen over the many, many years, the brilliance of Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth lies in how everything is dialed down to the barest of essentials, allowing the veteran ensemble led by Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand to do thunderous work with the Bard’s verses at the center of a stage cloaked in danger, mystery, and terror, making the timeless tale feel more alive than ever before.

A quick refresher from high school English: The Scottish play “Macbeth” centers on a lord and general in the king’s army, Macbeth, (Washington) who, at the urging of his wife (McDormand), plots to kill the king and take his place as ruler after receiving a prophecy from three witches (all three played by Kathryn Turner). A tale of greed and the folly of political ambition for the sake of only power, their deeds send them down a spiral of murder and paranoia towards their eventual downfall. Taking on solo duty as director this time around, Coen’s clear aim is to stick to the fundamentals of the original text, retaining the dialogue in his solo script work. So, anyone familiar with the work either from reading or seeing it performed before will know all the beats. Those who don’t have much experience with Shakespeare’s work or have had trouble grasping his style of writing when performed won’t get much solace here. But as I said before, what makes the film such a massive achievement is in how by sticking to the basics on the page, it put Coen and his team in a position to ensure that the impact of the material hits you like a blow to the chest on a visceral level, of which they only ever triumphantly succeed.

For starters, and perhaps the most obvious, are the performances. Neither Washington nor McDormand ever fails to prove why they are among the best actors of their generation, and here they are at some of their very best. Right at home with the verses, Washington’s journey from cautious, intrigued listener of the Witches’ prophecy, to then bringing about its fruition, and ultimately to his spiral into madness is an ever-evolving, full-blooded display of a master at work. Bold, commanding, and at times terrifying, he’s captivating in ways you should always expect and ways you never imagined. The same too goes for McDormand as Lady Macbeth, the true brains behind the operation and the convincing, meticulous, darkly captivating voice in his ear, pushing Macbeth to take this chance to seize the power she believes is rightfully his. Perfectly paired with Washington, she’s an equally entrancing presence, her own descent into regret and fear building to her tragic end.

The rest of the cast includes Corey Hawkins as Macduff, the eventual foil to Macbeth, in a role that proves that with the right material he can be a force to be reckoned with on screen, here able to hold his own alongside Washington; Harry Melling as Malcolm; Bertie Carvel as Banquo; Moses Ingram as Lady Macduff; Brendan Gleason as King Duncan, and more. They all do excellent work, for sure, but if there’s one supporting role that stands toe-to-toe alongside the leading duo, it’s Turner as the Witches. The first character we see on the desolate, foggy beach, Turner, a gifted physical performer, contorts her body and speech to bring haunting, entrancing life to three characters all at once. While not having the screen time as the rest of the cast, each one of her appearances is more incredible than the last, showing no limits to how she can twist and contort her frame and bring an unearthly physicality to an unearthly figure.

That same kind of twist of reality in Turner’s performance is what also sets apart the jaw-dropping technical craft on display. Shot all in black and white and 4:3 aspect ratio, the endlessly impressive mind of Bruno Delbonnel (who also shot the Coens’ Inside Llewyn Davis) brings out the blackness of shadows and the mystifying grays to make the moors of Scotland seem completely out of this world. Shot all on sound stages, there’s a simple, alluring power to the set design from Stefan Dechant and art direction from Jason T. Clark. A lone, broken house against the backdrop of an open field; a withered tree atop a hill, or; the vacant halls of the castle are all stunning locales that when paired with the cinematography recall horror films of a bygone age, such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. As the paranoia within the Macbeth household deepens, the more and more the movie looks like a gorgeous nightmare. Frame after frame, I was constantly reminded that, with the only competition being David Lowery’s The Green Knight, this is the most visually stunning movie of the year.

Perhaps this execution could be a bit too much for someone experiencing the material for the first time. But my hope and belief are to the contrary: Those along for the journey will realize in an instant why the material is as iconic and oft adapted as it is. There’s power here in the imagery to match the power of the verses. So much of what Coen is trying to do here exudes a vision hinged on getting back to the basics, both of the classic text and filmmaking as a whole. The sheer mastery of the craft on all sides of the camera, and with iconic material as its foundation, combine into a rapturous masterpiece that never wastes a moment stirring the senses and enrapturing the mind. It’s a bold, unforgettable, often terrifying experience that, if you can find the time to do so safely, demands to be absorbed into on a massive screen. For anyone exhausted by other big-screen offerings this time of year, The Tragedy of Macbeth is a lightning bolt of filmmaking that makes the very best out of ingredients that will truly never age.

The Tragedy of Macbeth hits Apple TV Plus on Friday.