It’s been a good’t 15+ years since I’ve engaged with Bill Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” but the two things I recalled about the play was that Lady Macbeth’s role is significant and she wipes blood from her hands, figuratively.
.I remembered that Lady Macbeth was the pot stirrer, and I must say…Frances McDormand did…that.
I think it’s that’s woman’s mission to just shit on everyone creatively and effortlessly.
My comfy legend be on the red carpet with her hubby, director Joel Coen, who directed “The Tragedy of Macbeth” without his longtime directing partner, brother Ethan, for the first time! Anyway, back to Fran…my girl just comes to deliver her lines, probably didn’t need to rehearse, and just peaced out ✌🏼until it’s time to collect her golden doubloons at the awards galas and things. I shall Stan for the remainder of my days.
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Denzel Washington plays “Macbeth” and I adored how he engaged with the material. You could tell this was second nature to him. Before Washington was a television actor, he performed “Shakespeare in the Park” in NYC’s Central Park, so he’s not unfamiliar with the content and it’s immediately noticeable. He also portrayed “Don Pedro” in the 1993 film “Much Ado About Nothing” based on a Shakespeare play of the same name. A natural.
All this to say, it’s Denzel. Not much more needs to be said here. His work speaks for itself.
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The acting genius of Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington leaves the audience with a feast of performances, which is assisted by a phenomenal ensemble cast. Acclaimed talents like Corey Hawkins as “Macduff,” Alex Hassell as “Ross,” and Brendan Gleeson as “King Duncan” get to flex their talents, but with measured and minute specificity. They all killed it!
I definitely hit the Leo in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” reaction gif when I saw Moses Ingram , my shawty boo from “The Queen’s Gambit,” as “Lady Macduff.” I can’t wait to see her in more things.
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The collective’s performances elevated Coen’s adaptation of the famed play.
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This adaptation was also thrilling because the technical specifications of the film were minimalist. The set decorations looked like IKEA furniture, and I would not be surprised if certain pieces were from straight from its marketplace.
The lighting manipulations, aspect ratio, the cinematography, the direction, and production design were the essences of the piece. Using bright light and crisp shadows as symbolism for revealing truths or hiding sinister plans and mischievous behavior…I just—felt fed.
The imagery was immaculate.
Every damn detail was captured with those lenses. The wrinkles in the face of a stressed, guilt-stricken Lady Macbeth to the dry, cracked lips of the witches (Kathryn Turner) who recited King Macbeth’s three prophecies.
And speaking of, that was my favorite part—the imagining of the prophecies.
Seeing the relief wash over a paranoid and tyrannical King Macbeth’s face as he’s reassured himself that he has nothing to worry about after he hears from the witches was an engulfing experience. Because even if you don’t remember the conclusion of the play, the direction, score, acting and cinematography in that sequence emphasized Macbeth’s impending doom.
The final action sequences were incredible! I wanted so much more but I was satisfied with the outcome. Corey Hawkins verses Denzel Washington!
Yo!
Inject it!
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I left the theater puzzled.
I knew I enjoyed the piece, but I was surprised at how much I did.
I tend to enjoy when technical elements elevate a work, but with this film, it was the cohesion of the specifics that revived the centuries old work.
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Do I…do I want to see this performed live?
Am I…one of those people?
(YERP! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!)
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Also, A24 has yet to take an “L” in my book. Consistent goodness in the cinema department for that production company. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾