Is this a great film I see before me?

There is some scholarly debate over whether William Shakespeare was Catholic or Protestant. But, regardless of his church preference, one thing is certain, the playwright had an amazing ability of graphically depicting sin’s powerful and ruinous nature.

A portrait of this darkness in men’s hearts has been brought to the screen in a fresh, new telling of the Bard’s Macbeth. The film, called The Tragedy of Macbeth, was crafted by acclaimed writer/director Joel Coen.

The movie has received much-­deserved praise from critics as Coen brings all the elements of great filmmaking to bear. First, he shot the movie in black and white and on sound stages with simplistic yet effective sets. He also wrote the screenplay using the play’s original Early Modern English. Lastly, the acting is brilliant with Denzel Washington leading the way as Macbeth in a brilliantly understated performance.

The messages and warnings of The Tragedy of Macbeth are as relevant today as they were in the 17th century. Sin’s power can seduce anyone by simply justifying itself, and great sins beget more sin and a deterioration of one’s soul that leads, as the Bible reveals, to “death.”