조엘 코엔의『맥베스의 비극』과 흑백의 미학

Abstract

In Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth., the white and black film, the contrasting images of light and darkness, white and black, good and evil are cunningly mixed rather than divided. It is difficult to distinguish the boundary between the opposing elements in the film. Taking advantage of the contrasting and dual images of black and white, Coen takes chances of expressing the ambiguity and duality of the main characters. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth commit an apparent crime, but it is hard to conclude them as evil villains. They are seen faithful subjects but have the desire to murder Duncan. Also they commit murder but suffer from guilty conscience. This ambiguity and uncertainty reflects Coen’s view of man and society through his version of Macbeth. Unlike Orson Welles who directed Macbeth with a vision of Christian dualism, Coen creates rather a paradoxical effect using the same black and white images. The dominating images in Macbeth are usually considered to be violence and blood, as the cruel murdering of Duncan is the main action of the play, and the symbolic image of murder is red blood. The images of blood and violence can be transmitted more effectively in color film, as most clearly demonstrated in the bloody scenes of Roman Polanski’s Macbeth. However Coen creates an uncertain world with gray images, which symbolize the ambiguity of man and society. This is the most notable esthetics in Coen’s black and white film