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Denzel Washington excels as Shakespeare’s doomed ruler in the latest trailer for The Tragedy of Macbeth, which sees the Academy Award-winning actor unite with Academy Award-winning director Joel Coen in this twisted, trippy take on the famous play. If that were not already enough talent to tempt you, fellow Academy Award winner Frances McDormand also stars opposite Denzel Washington as Lady Macbeth, whose manipulative nature sends both her and her husband into the realms of death.
This bold adaptation of a timeless tale of murder, madness, and wrathful cunning is presented in stark-and-stunning black-and-white, with The Tragedy of Macbeth placing two stunning performances from Washington and McDormand at the center of a what is sure to be a haunting, captivating cinematic masterpiece.
Written and directed by one half of The Coen Brothers, Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth follows a Scottish lord who becomes convinced by a trio of witches that it is his destiny to become the king of Scotland. With the help of his dangerously ambitious wife, Macbeth goes to extreme, increasingly violent lengths to seize the crown and claim what he believes to be his rightful place as king.
This latest adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy has not only recruited the Academy Award-winning talents of Denzel Washington as the titular Lord Macbeth, but also the Academy Award-winning talents of Nomadland star Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth. Alongside Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, The Tragedy of Macbeth star In Bruges’ Brendan Gleeson as King Duncan, Straight Outta Compton star Corey Hawkins as Macduff, The Legend of Buster Scruggs alum Harry Melling as Malcolm, and The Queen’s Gambit star Moses Ingram as Lady Macduff.
Joel Coen, who brings The Tragedy of Macbeth to life without his frequent collaborator and brother, Ethan, hopes to have crafted a “boldly inventive visualization of The Scottish Play.” The writer and director has previously described the passion project as “an anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind greed and thoughtless ambition.”
The Tragedy of Macbeth has already made its debut at 2021 New York Film Festival, with critics having since praised Joel Coen’s vision and the manner in which he has brought the play to life. TIME Magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek said of the movie; “I could see The Tragedy of Macbeth becoming a favorite Shakespearean film adaptation, for those who rank such things. Watching it, I felt as if I were part of the audience seeing the play for the first time, from the pit.” Helen O’Hara of Empire Magazine meanwhile declared the movie a 5/5 saying, “Stark but utterly compelling, this chilling take on Macbeth is a visually stunning tour de force. It’s as good as you’d expect from this cast and crew, which is saying something.”
Our own Julian Roman has also applauded The Tragedy of Macbeth; “The Tragedy of Macbeth is a unique interpretation of a historically famous play. Coen’s filmmaking skill stands above and beyond. You can assemble the finest talents and still have abject failure. Coen is a master conductor who succeeds grandly with his bold vision.”
The Tragedy of Macbeth streaming on Apple TV+ January 14 and now playing in select theaters.
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