Joel Coen strips Shakespeare to the bone in his solo directorial debut
In short: In a rare departure from his brother Ethan, Joel Coen presents a stark, black-and-white adaptation of Macbeth. Filmed entirely on sound stages to evoke German Expressionism, this lean interpretation features Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, earning critical acclaim for its visual precision and its focus on the play's essential, savage narrative.
Released in 2021, The Tragedy of Macbeth marks the first time Joel Coen has directed a feature film without his brother, Ethan. The project, which Coen wrote and produced, was designed to feel untethered from reality. To achieve this, the entire production was filmed on sound stages in Los Angeles, utilizing a 1.37:1 aspect ratio and black-and-white cinematography. This aesthetic choice was intended to pay homage to the visual styles of German Expressionist filmmakers like Fritz Lang and F. W. Murnau.
The film’s narrative is a stripped-down version of the Shakespearean classic, focusing on the psychological unraveling of Macbeth, played by Denzel Washington, and Lady Macbeth, played by Frances McDormand. The production design and the score, composed by Carter Burwell with violin contributions from Tim Fain, aim to create an ominous, folk-inspired atmosphere. Critics have largely praised the film’s athletic urgency and its ability to distill the play into its most potent visual and narrative elements, though some, such as Richard Brody, argued that the attempt to normalize Shakespearean language occasionally faltered.
The production faced significant challenges, including a halt in filming on March 26, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before resuming in July 2020. Additionally, producer Scott Rudin stepped down in April 2021 following allegations of abuse. Despite these hurdles, the film received widespread recognition, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. It premiered at the 59th New York Film Festival in September 2021 and was later distributed globally via Apple TV+ in January 2022, cementing its status as a significant, if unconventional, entry in the history of Shakespearean adaptations.
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