Denzel Washington might be one of the last true “movie stars” left, a phrase I put in quotes because I’m referring to the thing that’s bigger than the actual person. In an era dominated by franchises, Denzel still has the kind of star wattage that can draw people to a movie all by itself. He’s one of the last of his kind, a reality on full display in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, in which Denzel gives a tour de force of a performance as a slave-turned-power player in ancient Rome. “Denzel Washington Makes Gladiator II Worth It,” declares a headline for one of the many rave reviews.
The response to Denzel’s performance, in fact, has reminded me of how good he was in another historical drama in which, just like Gladiator, everyone is wearing tunics and fancy gowns. A24’s The Tragedy of Macbeth brought to life Shakespeare’s classic tale of the titular Scottish nobleman who eventually becomes king — but whose rise to power is steeped in betrayal, obsession, and even murder. Released in early 2022, the resulting film from Joel Coen, shot in black and white, had a noirish vibe and boasted a stellar cast — including Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth — and it got picked up by Apple, which gave the movie a streaming home on Apple TV+.
That move also guaranteed … how can I put this delicately … that few eyeballs would find the movie, relatively speaking.
Don’t misunderstand me, though. I’m merely acknowledging the small scale of Apple TV+, which also happens to be my favorite streaming service of them all thanks to its stellar hits-to-misses ratio (check out my current roundup of Apple’s best shows, for a start). And as for Denzel’s take on Macbeth, it’s certainly one of the better films you’ll find on the streamer, having picked up three Oscar nods in addition to a near-perfect 92% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Washington is one of several actors who’ve delivered memorable portrayals of Macbeth over the years, including Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, and Michael Fassbender. In the play, Macbeth is both a villain and a tragic hero, wracked by internal conflict over his lust for power. That internal struggle, and Macbeth’s subsequent descent into madness, make the play so memorable. And as for this particular adaptation? A UK critic has raved that it’s a “dense, ingenious, hermetically sealed marvel.”
Adds another, from Time magazine: “I could see The Tragedy of Macbeth becoming a favorite Shakespearean film adaptation, for those who rank such things. Watching it, I felt as if I were part of the audience seeing the play for the first time, from the pit.”
Denzel’s performance is as stark and bleak as the overall film that Coen crafted, a definite departure from the brooding, bombastic version of Denzel that fans love from films like Training Day and The Equalizer. Bottom line: If you loved Denzel as Macrinus in the Gladiator sequel, then I think it’s definitely worth giving his turn as Macbeth a try. It’s a very different sort of period drama for Denzel — but a treat, nonetheless, to watch him deliver ominous lines like “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife,” lines that make you viscerally feel his character’s torment.
