AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.
Writer/director Joel Coen hopes that streaming his critically acclaimed “The Tragedy of Macbeth” movie on Apple TV+ will bring it to audiences who might not have given it a shot.
Apple bought the film after it was completed, but in a new interview with the New York Times, writer/director Joel Coen says he wasn’t sure it would ever be finished. Famous for his theatrical films made with his brother Ethan Coen, he found production on “The Tragedy of Macbeth” halted by the coronavirus.
“I was actually fairly certain that we weren’t going to be able to finish the movie,” he says. “I thought, this is going to be this strange thing where three quarters of the movie was shot and it never got finished.”
The pandemic also saw streaming services getting films that would otherwise have first premiered in movie theaters. “The Tragedy of Macbeth” did get a premiere and short theatrical run, but it’s become a critically acclaimed hit for Apple TV+.
Coen says that Apple TV+ and all the streaming services are “fantastic because they bring the movie to all kinds of people who ordinarily might not have given it a shot.”
“I watch as much as I can [in theaters] and would like to see more things, and see them be in the theater longer,” he continued. “But I’m also as guilty as the next person of going, oh, I’ll turn the streaming service on and see it there.”
He also says that the streaming services are conscious of making the most of event films, and all productions.
“[They are] aware that this can’t just be a business where you’re dumping 40 new titles every other day on your service,” says Coen, “[not if] you want any of them to make a ripple in terms of people’s awareness.”
Coen was first asked by his wife and producing partner, actor Frances McDormand, to direct Shakespeare’s story as a stage play. In not wanting to do it as a theater piece, however, Coen did see his movie as being theatrical in every sense.
His screenplay, originally titled just “Macbeth”, sets out from the first moments that it is a stylized tale, but perhaps even more so than in his movies with Ethan Coen. The dialog is Shakespeare’s, for the most part, but the script specifies that it starts with an opening theater curtain.
The film’s starkly black and white look is also there from the first page, with a description of a location as “nothing but milky white from floor to ceiling.”
So it’s as much a deliberately non-realistic world that the film is set in, and Coen is not unnecessarily reverent of William Shakespeare’s original.
“I wanted to go as far as I could away from realism and more towards a theatrical presentation,” continues Coen. “I was trying to strip things away and reduce things to a theatrical essence, but still have it be cinema.”
“I came to [Shakespeare] as an amateur,” he says. “I’m still an amateur. [But it is] a murder story. In a way, it’s even a horror story.”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” starring Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington, is now streaming on Apple TV+.

“I wanted to go as far as I could away from realism and more towards a theatrical presentation,”
In that respect iI guess t would be more like the Orson Wells version. I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t want to jam it in between shopping and getting the taxes together. I want to make an evening of it.  But I am so looking forward to this film.

patchythepirate said:

Looks amazing, tried to watch it, but only made it 15 min in because I can’t understand what tf they’re saying. They should have an option for closed captions to translate Shakespeare into modern language.

 

I was really disappointed because I love the Coen brothers. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was one of the most amazing films I’ve ever seen, a must watch.

It is a great film. But yes, you do have to some level of understanding Shakespearean language. If this is your first time really diving in outside of a high school english class, it might be a bit daunting. Subtitles still help though!

It is a great film. But yes, you do have to some level of understanding Shakespearean language. If this is your first time really diving in outside of a high school english class, it might be a bit daunting. Subtitles still help though!

Wesley Hilliard said:

patchythepirate said:

Looks amazing, tried to watch it, but only made it 15 min in because I can’t understand what tf they’re saying. They should have an option for closed captions to translate Shakespeare into modern language.

 

I was really disappointed because I love the Coen brothers. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was one of the most amazing films I’ve ever seen, a must watch.

It is a great film. But yes, you do have to some level of understanding Shakespearean language. If this is your first time really diving in outside of a high school english class, it might be a bit daunting. Subtitles still help though!

The subtitles are what got me from 10 min to 15 lol

The subtitles are what got me from 10 min to 15 lol

It is a long time since I studied Macbeth at school. I had forgotten the incredible use of language that I enjoyed, and this production brings that to life in a truly exceptional way. Their concept and production quality is absolutely amazing.

it is a telling illustration of the paucity of modern education that so many struggle with how English was expressed back in the day. It is worth the time and effort to sit down and work it out, it doesn’t take as long as you think and suddenly you are into the mitre.
And yes subtitles help.
Apple TV+ “Greatness Code” has been renewed for a second season that will debut on May 13, continuing its unscripted look at elite athletes.
Apple TV+ has landed “The White Darkness,” a new limited series starring Tom Hiddleston about the real life story of an Antarctic adventurer.
Baseball game broadcasts vary across the wide array of stations and networks hosting the games. Apple’s “Friday Night Baseball” broadcasts will stand apart both technically and with the talent they select to broadcast the games. Here’s how.

If you have $2,000 burning a hole in your pocket and want a Mac, getting a 14-inch MacBook Pro or a Mac Studio is a great idea. Here’s how the identically-priced workstations compare to each other.
What desktop Mac you buy is an incredibly personal decision, driven by workflow as much as it is by financial considerations. Fortunately, there are wide varieties of machines you can buy at any price point. Here’s how to pick.
Whether you’re an avid crafter or starting your own small business and want to handle the merchandising yourself, Cricut machines can help create some truly impressive projects. Here’s how each model compares to the next, and which one you should check out.
We pulled our 2011 Thunderbolt Display out of storage to compare it against Apple’s all-new Studio Display.
Apple recently debuted the M1 Ultra, the latest addition to its family of Apple Silicon chips that basically doubles the performance of the company’s current faster chipset.
Block creating new Square Stand for iPad with built-in tap to pay
Apple leaks its own dual-port 35W power adapter
Best apps for being productive on your Mac
Second season of Apple TV+ ‘Greatness Code’ sports series streams on May 13
Google’s self-repair program for Pixel launches, Apple’s program is nowhere to be seen
Key Apple suppliers hit by Covid-19 lockdowns, factory halts in Kunshan
Daily deals April 8: $300 off Asus ROG Gaming Desktop, $416 off Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Graphics Card, $70 off Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, more
Last call: 14-inch MacBook Pro with 10-core CPU on sale for $1,999
Apple TV+ “Greatness Code” has been renewed for a second season that will debut on May 13, continuing its unscripted look at elite athletes.
Apple TV+ has landed “The White Darkness,” a new limited series starring Tom Hiddleston about the real life story of an Antarctic adventurer.
Baseball game broadcasts vary across the wide array of stations and networks hosting the games. Apple’s “Friday Night Baseball” broadcasts will stand apart both technically and with the talent they select to broadcast the games. Here’s how.
You can do anything on your Mac, but you can probably also do it faster, more efficiently — and simply make it work harder for you. Here are key apps that are proven to help.
If you have $2,000 burning a hole in your pocket and want a Mac, getting a 14-inch MacBook Pro or a Mac Studio is a great idea. Here’s how the identically-priced workstations compare to each other.
The new GoPro Volta packs a ton of functionality into this handheld GoPro grip — including a tripod, remote, and extra battery life for your ultimate shooting setup.
What desktop Mac you buy is an incredibly personal decision, driven by workflow as much as it is by financial considerations. Fortunately, there are wide varieties of machines you can buy at any price point. Here’s how to pick.
We pulled our 2011 Thunderbolt Display out of storage to compare it against Apple’s all-new Studio Display.
If you’re looking for a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard built around a Mac-centric experience, the Keychron Q3 might be the best keyboard for your money.
Keep your furniture, stairs, and corners clean with Proscenia’s P11 Smart Stick Vacuum, an ultra-portable cordless vacuum designed to go wherever needed.
The Nuphy Air60 Keyboard is a tiny mechanical keyboard perfect for pairing with an iPad mini on the go or for use as an alternative to your MacBook keyboard.
The Zhiyun Crane M3 is a gimbal for prosumer video creators who want something well suited for iPhone videos as well as for compact mirrorless cameras.
The king of the craft world, the Cricut Maker, can help bring your paper, card, and sticker-based projects to life, but with software limitations and at a hefty cost.
AppleInsider is one of the few truly independent online publications left. If you love what we do, please consider a small donation to help us keep the lights on.
If you love AppleInsider and want to support independent publications, please consider a small donation.
{{ title }}

source