How Does Coen Use A Range Of Cinematic Techniques In Macbeth

Top Hollywood directors often use a range of cinematic effects to emphasize psychological themes in their work. For example, in his 2021 adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Joel Coen uses a range of cinematic techniques, including lighting, sound, and creative camera shots, to effectively convey Macbeth's descent into paranoia and guilt throughout the story.

The lighting in the film is a key element that helps to set the mood of the climactic banquet scene and convey Macbeth's psychological troubles. For example, the scene begins with Macbeth transitioning from a dark shadow to a brighter light as he approaches the camera. Coen uses contrasting and shifting lighting throughout the scene to mirror Macbeth's vacillating mental state.

For instance, as Macbeth begins to hallucinate, seeing the ghost of Banquo, We hear a distant window crashing and the sound of approaching footsteps. The sound of the crashing window creates tension in the scene and leaves a suspenseful anticipation for the reveal of the cause of the noise. Likewise, the approaching footsteps make us wonder whose figure is about to appear in the doorway and what their intention toward Macbeth is. To set the scene, the sound of rain creates a melancholy atmosphere. While thunder creates a sense of foreboding rolling continuously from the moment Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth, the effects from the thunder and rain combine during Macbeth's exchange with the killers. Sometimes the absence of a sound is as impactful as the sound effects themselves. Coen also makes use of silence in the film to draw the viewer's attention to Macbeth's inner thoughts. For example, as Banquo's footsteps are heard approaching, the ambiance of Macbeth’s dinner guests talking fades to silence, so that all we can hear are Banquo’s non-existent footsteps, audible only to Macbeth. When it becomes apparent that the footsteps heard are Banquo's, it becomes clear that Macbeth is hallucinating and hearing things that are not there. His guilt and paranoia are beginning to take over his