The Tragedy of Macbeth

Joel Coen's stark adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" strips the tragedy to its essentials, setting the ambitious Thane of Glamis on a bloody path to the Scottish throne. Consumed by a witches' prophecy and his wife's relentless urging, Macbeth commits regicide, usurping the crown. The film's austere visuals and minimalist staging underscore the characters' moral decay, while Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington deliver performances of icy precision and seething ambition.