“The Tragedy of Macbeth”, bare-bones account of Shakespeare as a horror film (and politically relevant right now)
In high school (1958-1961), at Washington-Lee (now Washington-Liberty) High School in Arlington VA, we read Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” in 10th Grade (now “Romeo and Juliet” is often taught in Ninth Grade now, with warnings but underage relationships), and “Macbeth” in our senior year, in the fall as the school year started. I also read “Hamlet” as a book report.
“Macbeth” is supposed to be the play about unguarded ambition, but is seems to be about political narcissism, the Trump-like personality (especially on January 6, 2020). Joel Coen (with IAC, Apple TV and A24) produce a reduced stage-play “The Tragedy of Macbeth” in black-and-white in reduced aspect ratio in the style of well-crafted, even brutal horror.
The main outlines of the story are worth summarizing. Macbeth (Denzel Washington, and the “diverse” casting is barely noticeable) had a best friend king (Scotland, 11th Century) Duncan (Brendan Gleeson) who names his son Malcom (Harry Melling) as next in line. Some local witches have predicted that glory for Macbeth (among the competing thanes), and in those days people believed in the telepathy of dreams. Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand, one of the producers) eggs her husband on to plot to get the throne himself. A critical fact, maybe the most critical, is that Macbeth has no kids (let alone male descendants). No lineage is a big deal for a patriarchal royalty (and used to be a reason for homophobia – and still is in many authoritarian countries). Macbeth feels a touch of shame and humiliation from the attitude of his wife.
I suspect these sensitive points were covered in literature quizzes in high school, about a year before my own debacle as a freshman at William and Mary over the same issues in part.
What follows is a series of brutal killings, until Macbeth is decapitated himself on camera. In a curious final shot, Fleance (Banquo’s son, Lucas Barker) is horseback riding into a valley and attacked by a school of crows.
The music score by Carter Burwell contains some microtone effects in the strings despite its post-romantic character.
I do remember seeing the 4-hour film of “Hamlet” from Columbia Pictures and Kenneth Branagh, with music score by Patrick Doyle, with the play-within-play (a kind of Dream/Killer idea), and the famous speech by Hamlet just before the intermission (on a battle field) about “when honor’s at stake” and “fust in us unused”, which Joe Steffan jumped on for his 1992 book “Honor Bound” about gays in the military (and his own Naval Academy experience, which would make a good movie). I saw that in 1996 at the Avalon in Washington, and remember proofreading a draft of my book, all stapled, in line waiting to get in. The final scene literally has, as they say in middle school, has all the characters swinging from the chandeliers. While “Macbeth” deals with narcissistic ambition, “Hamlet” emphasizes revenge.
For “Julius Caesar” my choice is still the 1953 BW film by Joseph Minkiewicz, with Marlon Brandon, James Mason and Deborah Kerr (MGM).
For “Romeo and Juliet” there is the 1968 film by Franco Zifferelli, with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, from Dino Di Laurentiis (you never know with him), and Paramount. But I prefer “Romeo + Juliet” by Baz Luhrmann (1996) with Leonardo Di Caprio and Claire Danes, in the modern city of Verona Beach (20th Century Fox), which got shown in high school when I was subbing despite its R rating.
Globe Theater drawing, Wikipedia embed, click for attribution. In 10th grade English class, we had to name the “eight parts of the theater” on a test (of Julius Caesar, in the fall). I remember the “proscenium doors”.
Name: “The Tragedy of Macbeth“
Director, writer: Joel Coen
Released: 2021/12
Format: 1.37:1, BW
When and how viewed: Cinema Arts Theater Fairfax VA, 2202/2/6, noon show, moderate attendance
Length: 105
Rating: R
Companies: IAC, Apple TV+, A24
Link: A24, Family Theater review
Stars: *****
(Posted on Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 6:30 PM EST by John W. Boushka)
Posted on February 6, 2022
CategoriesB-Movies, black and white or altered colors, classic films, historical period drama
TagsA24, Apple TV+, Coen, Shakespeare