15 of the Best Adaptations of Shakespeare Ever Made
Joel Coen’s new expressionist take on The Tragedy of Macbeth was (at least) a modest success and certainly a critical success. It’s very difficult to quantify the film’s success with its dual streaming and theatrical release strategy during the Covid surge, but few seem to complain about its artistry. Why is obvious: Just look at it!
In many ways, Cohen’s interpretation takes him back to basics. While its visual style is clearly expressionistic, with nods to 1920s German silent films (and nods to Citizen Kane ), it’s just a (gorgeous) set piece that only accentuates the acting talent on display – with headliners Denzel Washington and Francis. McDormand offers very different takes on the much older “Macbeth” and “Lady Macbeth”. Like much of Shakespeare’s writing, the play has received at least a dozen major adaptations. There is a complexity in his writing that allows one to boldly rethink it, and an audacity that will stand the test of time, provided you can delve into the beautiful, though undeniably mysterious, language. Here are 15 of the best cinematic productions of Shakespeare, most of which do not stray too far from the original text, even if they offer us a grand new vision of these great works.