The Tragedy of Macbeth
This film was exactly what I thought it was going to be. I can’t say that I loved it but I definitely didn’t hate it. What can I say, I am a dork. I love some Shakespeare. Maybe I should be like a middle school English teacher. I think the first time I was truly introduced to Shakespeare’s works was in middle school English. I just feel cultured and wise when I listen to Shakespeare’s writings. Even when I don’t know exactly what is going on or what something means, I feel like I am gaining something just by listening. I knew the story because I read the play and had done some preliminary research before seeing the film but had not studied each line like some people have.
The thing that impressed me the most while watching the film is the emoting or the acting simply with facial expressions that the actors did. Several times throughout the film I would only know what an actor was trying to get across by the looks on their faces. This film is presented in old English, the way William Shakespeare wrote it, and would be difficult or nearly impossible for us mere humans to follow, so the “face-acting” and the use of clear inflections are imperative tools to keep the audience in the know of the story. The accolades for inputting these skills go, of course, to the main stars, Denzel Washington and Francis McDormand as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, respectively.
Denzel Washington did an incredible job in his role. His accent wasn’t obviously British or Scottish like it is supposed to be but his voice was different which led me to believe that the lack of an obvious accent was a choice Washington made to make the character more accessible and relatable to the general public or something. I loved how he played his emotions out in the open for everyone to see. I feel like there are no spoilers because this is a piece of work that has been around for hundreds of years and that people should know about. Having said that, when Denzel Washington’s character feels guilty and paranoid about what he has done, you can feel that coming across and that emotional transparency is so different from the characters he normally plays, it’s refreshing to see that.
Francis McDormand was fine in her role. She played the cunningness and sharpness of Lady Macbeth brilliantly. In the second half, when she is meant to go mad with guilt, I didn’t see that as much. It was like in a moment she was just gone and I didn’t really feel like her story had a proper ending. She was the one, though, doing the most acting with her facial expressions, which I’ve mentioned before that I liked a lot!
I’ve heard people say that the screenplay should NOT be rewarded. It is Shakespeare, people say, it’s nothing new. Whatever. I think the screenplay, adapted by Joel Coen, was good! I mean, when Banquo comes back not as a ghost but as a bird, that is different enough to get the screenplay recognized. The cinematography was interesting. The black-and-white nature of the film really highlighted the blackness in one of Lady Macbeth’s dresses, which I thought was interesting and added to the overall aesthetic of the scene. I don’t get the whole thing of how making a film black-and-white increases its cinematography but whatever. The production design was a choice. I can’t decide if I liked it or hated it. You be the judge, I guess. The set is designed like a stage, where there don’t seem to be actual walls or ceilings, there is just the illusion of them. It felt like a play. I once had a class where I watched some versions of ancient Greek plays. It felt like that. I guess you could say this felt old, which it is, but I would have liked something that didn’t make me feel like I was experiencing history, if that makes any sense.
You know, this is a piece of art. It’s NOT a film you watch to be entertained and relaxed. This is more of a film someone might watch in school. If you are interested in actors, then the stellar cast will attract you to this film. When it comes down to it, though, this is a Shakespeare play so if you’re interested in that then you’ll probably be interested in this. Just be aware of what you are going to see.
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