‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ (2021) Review: The Striking Portrait of a Power-Hungry Couple
Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth opens with the victory of Macbeth (Denzel Washington) against the rebellion by King Duncan (Brendan Gleeson). Macbeth’s glory days are almost over and he plans to retire soon but when he gets promoted to the Thane of Cawdor, he sets his new mission to a much higher position. The idea of becoming a king is planted by the Witches (Kathryn Hunter) and he becomes consumed with the desire to fulfil this prophecy. When Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand) learns of this, she encourages her husband to kill the king and seize the power of the throne. Once Macbeth is lost in his bloodlust, it leads to a chain of violent events that sets the motion to his murderous rampage.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a stunning piece of craftsmanship that shows the furious portrayal of two tortured souls. Unlike the other adaptations of William Shakespeare’s play, Coen’s movie is a modern take where Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are older and way over the age of producing an heir. There is an urgency within the character’s psychology to seize power and the more they seek for a higher purpose, it intensifies. As Macbeth takes the throne, his mentality disintegrates and loses himself in the quest for power. In this adaptation, Lady Macbeth works as an equal and doesn’t manipulate and control her husband; rather she plots the murder of King Duncan along with her husband. After Macbeth stabs King Duncan in his bed-chamber, he brings the weapons to Lady Macbeth, who grabs it from his hand and places it at the murder scene. McDormand’s Lady Macbeth isn’t written as the evil manipulator even though there are aspects of it in her character. Instead, she is depicted as a character that goes to great lengths to give her husband what he deserves: the throne.
The emphasis on Macbeth’s desperation to become king is rooted in the character’s old age and it is done on purpose. Rather than focusing on Lady Macbeth’s manipulation and her inability to bear children, Coen’s movie focuses on how Macbeth’s instability heightens with the urge to commit murder. By his side, Lady Macbeth feeds into his darkness and drives her into madness too. The characters’ senescence is written on purpose to make their desperation seem urgent, which leads them to pay their price. Even though Lady Macbeth reigns in authority, she carries the anguish of losing her children and sense of family.
The Tragedy of Macbeth probes at the themes of murder, the foundations of marriage and love, all of that twists the meaning of what a haunting resolution means. It plays with the tragedy believing that the limit of their age and position leads them to murder their king. The essence of their desperation and manipulation results in a fascinating and striking portrait of the power-hungry couple.
Washington and McDormand bring a dramatic interpretation of the tragic tale. When the two actors are on screen, not a moment is wasted. They rave and recite the dialogues with clarity and the emotional charges are poetic, yet urgent. The momentum never stops. The Tragedy of Macbeth dives into the psychological realm of the Macbeths. The despair that runs within Macbeth is the driving force and the end for him. It is a tale of how a couple is doomed with a thirst for power which results in the ending of a thunderous king.
The Tragedy of Macbeth will stream on AppleTV+ on January 14.
Edited by: Raayaa Imthiyaz
