In King Duncan’s medieval Scotland, Lord Macbeth, a general who has just won an important battle, crosses paths with three witches. They predict that he will soon accede to the throne. The general writes to his wife, the ambitious Lady Macbeth, to inform her of the prophecy. When she returns to the castle, she will convince her husband to kill the king. Crowned, Macbeth becomes paranoid and bloodthirsty, as an army of soldiers rises against him to avenge his betrayal.
Posted yesterday at 8:30 a.m.
Among Shakespeare’s plays, macbeth is the one that has been the subject of the greatest number of film and television adaptations. And by great masters of the seventh art like Orson Welles, Akira Kurosawa and Roman Polanski. Six years after Justin Kurzel’s adaptation, it’s Joel Coen’s turn to direct a solo film – without his brother Ethan – on the famous Shakespearean tragedy, with a prestigious cast, including Denzel Washington, who shines in the role. -title, and Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth, a role tailor-made for this great two-time Oscar-winning actress.
The American director offers a very successful adaptation, close to the masterpiece, which moves away from realism to plunge us into a waking nightmare. The film, entirely in black and white, is carried by superb images (director of photography Bruno Delbonnel was inspired by the expressionist films of Fritz Lang) and a magnificent dreamlike, claustrophobic setting, by Stefan Dechant.
Terribly black work, macbeth represents the tragedy of man marked with the seal of original sin, crushed by the weight of heavy destiny. A violent, nightmarish world, in which the word of witches and madmen resounds in the conscience of the nobles.
“We do not redo what is undone,” said Lady Macbeth. Seeing the troops of the late king’s supporters advancing towards the castle (a beautiful scene where the soldiers cover their heads with leaves to illustrate the advancing forest), she will descend into madness. For his part, Macbeth hears every night a deafening noise, like a hammering; it is the sound of his conscience unable to find peace.
On Apple TV+ in original English version
historical drama
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Joel Coen
With Frances McDormand, Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson
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