For the first time in his career Joel Coen has made a movie without his brother, Ethan. But the lost sibling has been replaced by a more than worthy partner, William Shakespeare. Coen’s adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth (now streaming in Apple TV and playing in theaters) is a stellar achievement: it’s a two layered film that is both Coen-esque and Shakespeare.
I talked with Doug Bell, a regular guest on the podcast, about this wonderful film. Along the way we discuss the themes of infertility, fate and murder in the Coen filmography; the previous adaptations of Macbeth by Orson Welles, Justin Kurzel, Akira Kurosawa; the acting chops of the cast, headed by Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington; the fusion of theater and film; and the role of demonic evil running through the works of both the Coen Brothers and Shakespeare.
(Post edited by Emily M. Keeler)
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