The Tragedy of Macbeth

Matt Roush says...

Shakespeare has rarely felt more eternal onscreen than in director Joel Coen’s ravishingly bleak, tautly trimmed (at 105 minutes) version of the classic tragedy. Filmed in foggy, eerie black and white on cavernous soundstages that feel both theatrical and cinematic, harking back to silent-era expressionism, the oft-told tale of murder and hubris is stripped to its primal core. A haunted Denzel Washington (generated Oscar buzz) is Macbeth, balancing bloody ambition with fateful regret, and he’s well matched by Frances McDormand’s relentlessly fierce Lady Macbeth. But it’s Kathryn Hunter as the freaky terrifying witches who nearly steals this memorable show.

What's Worth Watching (Jan 14)