I get why there was never a thread about this. It's Apple, it's a story 9/10 of the remaining posters here probably know quite well, and most importantly...


Even if it's just one Coen, and their least favored DP, it can be surprising how blandly this movie was made. There's almost nothing romantic, tragic or even cute about this version of Macbeth, the B&W often feels more like a gimmick than something the lighting and costume designers had to account for...


But then you have to wonder, because all these people are theatrical masters - perhaps more importantly have performed this play from one angle or another - why this movie looks like this. If I may be permitted multiple bags, the only reason I'm not permanently in the Coens' is Paul Thomas Anderson does most of their thing without the stilted cuteness. Or maybe it's just this movie, or knowing the material, or both: in any case, Stephen Root's Porter is an example of a confusing character that makes as little sense on stage as the Porter drags the audience into the next act in a (stage) theater. But in that venue, it's fun. Here? Just bizarre.


So here's where I say my mom was a high school English teacher, and mostly did 9th grade and all you remember comes with it. But she also taught journalism and an AP course about Shakespeare, which lead to me being the asshole in 7th grade that kicked a Romeo & Juliet sonnet like I was just listing off the stars of the '90s Cowboys. Which is to say I've also seen a decent number of these literal Shakespeare adaptations - and have pretty much always preferred a Clueless, or at least the Baz Luhrmann Romeo+Juliet - because when you take these plays off the stage, no matter how powerful the line delivery some bland sets and standard shot/reverse sucks all the energy out of the thing. These were stories meant for peasants on the verge of every disease you can imagine, after all, not some art house theater with 40 seats.


But maybe I'm just being too harsh. I was extremely excited to see Denzel play this role after years of praise for his performances both on Broadway and, probably more importantly, in the UK, and even if Intolerable Cruelty was the huge misfire history demands it be and one brother doesn't have the well earned doubt and support of the other...even being in the position of knowing...KNOWING this play...


Am I in some weird place thinking this version of this story is pretty stoically bad? I had a moment where I thought maybe the sets were blatant homages to the epics of the 30s and 40s, but even then I'd circle back to thinking this movie pretty much looks like shit. To the point I wouldn't be surprised to be reminded this was specifically filmed in black and white (though I suspect it was altered in post, which if that isn't the case proves my point), but if that were true I'd be sad to think the crew with final cut liked how this looks.


Here's a fiery send off - the black & white Criterion re-release of Johnny Mneumonic has more interesting photography than this.


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