The Tragedy of Macbeth (Joel Coen, December 25, 2021) Movie • Page 3

I loved this a lot

 

i liked it quite a bit too

 

This has maybe my favorite cinematography of 2021. Everything looked so haunting and the sound design gave everything an added weight to it. Denzel and McDormand didn't really do much for me unfortunately which brought it down a bit, but this was overall good.

 

“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Reviewed: Joel Coen’s Sanitized Shakespeare

I find most Shakespeare adaptations lacking in some way, Richard Brody’s piece articulated why this one felt so flat despite the visual power

 

It was okay. The Coens were on such a good run from No Country for Old Men to Hail, Caesar! but there doesn't see to be much to chew on here other than the visuals, which everyone has praised.

 

It’s interesting that Joel made a play adaptation at the same time Ethan breaks off to go do theatre

 

I come at it differently as an English teacher who teaches Macbeth every year, but I think Coen had a very clear vision with this and made some really deliberate, interesting choices in adapting it. I screened it as extra credit for my students and they had really interesting reactions to it.

 

i agree with chris

 

This was the most claustrophobic a movie has ever made me and I'm including Shiva Baby

Needed more Stephen Root

 

Seeing it again the casting really added another level. Macduff’s youth compared to Macbeth’s age added a new dynamic. It really makes his bid for the crown seem like one last chance for glory in a way that I’ve never taken from the original text

 

yeah making macbeth older helped. the lines about not having a child makes more sense coming from 60 year olds with a sense of regret

 

Really want to see this!

Also, it’s kinda sorta incredibly painful and embarrassing to see people complaining about the language in a Shakespeare retelling. Like hello you are absolutely missing the whole point. To translate into “normal English” (my brain exploded at this phrase) is to dilute the poetry and timeless beauty of the text. Also 100% agreed with @Morrissey here that it’s not that hard to understand when the action is literally playing out in front of you.

 

Would this be bad as a first exposure to Macbeth? The only Shakespeare I remember reading in high school is the first half of Caesar

 

I came in here to say this. I'm an English teacher too, just got done teaching this. I showed the Patrick Stewart version and I wish I could have shown this one this year instead. I watched all of the film versions in preparation of this and this version is definitely my favorite, even though I wanted a little more emotion out of Denzel, the witches definitely make up for it. The fact that she wasn't up for an Oscar astounds me. What a performance.

 

Throne of Blood is my favorite

 

As long as no one says the Baz Luhrman Romeo and Juliet.

 

i would say baz luhrman romeo and juliet would be a bad first exposure to macbeth, yes.

 

booked and busy