Othello

I like this adaptation of Shakespeare's play, mostly for the performances by two of Weimar Germany's greatest screen actors, Emil Jannings as Othello and Werner Krauss as Iago. There are many alterations to the original text in addition to the expected truncation. Director Dimitri Buchowetzki achieves a good pacing out of it. Lotte Eisner (author of "The Haunted Screen") says the language is naïve, but I don't consider that very important in a silent film. There are plenty of better ways to get that if one wants. For a silent film especially, visually adapting the play is essential.

Visually, the film has survived well over the years. The photography is crisp. The sets look nice, as well. They're studio built, which is a convenience in controlling lighting, but they're not exceptional, nor used very effectively. One of the better-filmed moments is when the sets are blacked out during the dramatic dénouement. Jannings and Krauss, who both came from the stage, compensate for many of the shortcomings, though. In moor makeup, Jannings again demonstrates his versatility, and he gives a strong performance. But, I think Krauss steals the show; he is thoroughly dastardly, with tights and occasional dance-like movements, and his character directs the plot throughout. This film was worthwhile for me because of those two performances.

This atmospheric and very interesting adaptation of Shakespeare's "Othello" adds a good dose of German silent film style to the classic story of jealousy and deceit. Although at times the emphasis is placed somewhat differently than in the original, the adaptation shows good judgment in highlighting the themes and sequences that would work the best on the silent screen.

The basic story holds closely to the plot of the play. Emil Jannings makes a fine Othello, since his emotional style fits the volatile character well. Werner Krauss is particularly memorable as Iago. Of the main characters, Iago is the one who comes across most differently from the role in the play - here he is jaunty rather than sullen, an evil genius who shows obvious relish in each step of his malicious plans. The character and Krauss's performance work quite well for a movie adaptation. Another interesting difference is that here Emilia's role is enlarged and given more importance, in comparison with the play.

The emphasis is, as it should be in Shakespeare, on the characters; but the photography, settings, and the rest of the production are all of good quality as well. It's quite a good version of the story for a movie made in the early 1920s.

I am not a huge fan of Shakespeare, but I have seen a couple dozen different silent versions of his films and I must say that this film is definitely the best. Unlike some of the earliest versions that only lasted a few minutes (way too short to do any justice to the plays), this one was a lengthy film--allowing for a reasonable treatment. Now you STILL can't compare this to a sound version of the film because since it's a silent, the lyrical quality of the play is missing. Some purists might hate this (after all, they don't recite the play verbatim like many sound versions), but I liked how the play was changed to a pantomime piece with an emphasis on action and characterization.

For someone who doesn't get excited about hearing all the original words of Shakespeare yet loves silent films, this is a wonderful film. The sets for 1922 were exceptional and the acting was fortunately not over the top--which is sometimes a problem with OTHELLO. You do NOT see a crazed caricature of a man, as Emil Jannings plays the lead role very well--with humanity and not relying too much on gesticulations or campiness. He was an amazing silent actor--hence his winning the first Oscar for Best Actor just a few years later. Unfortunately, he was also a devoted Nazi and wasted his talent from the mid-1930s onward!

After the Russian director Dimitri Buchowetzki had made the film 'Danton' in 1921 with Emil Jannings and Werner Krauß in the leading roles, he cast the two greats of the Berlin stage again a year later, this time for his film version of the Shakespeare drama 'Othello'. Jannings plays the 'Moor of Venice', as was customary at the time as a white actor in blackface. In this classic role, he is able to set off all the fireworks of his' acting artistry, from affably jovial to imperiously dominant, but above all he has ample opportunity for his special showpiece: the portrayal of someone who has been overpowered by circumstances and whose control over himself has been torn away by an unbearable fate. Krauß plays Iago, probably the most despicable villain in Shakespeare's canon.

Buchowetzki, who is also responsible for the screenplay, sticks to the original until shortly before the end of the film. Othello, a successful admiral of the Venetian fleet, loves Desdemona (Ica von Lenkeffy), the daughter of a councillor, and she loves him. As Desdemona's father (Friedrich Kühne) refuses the African his daughter's hand in marriage, they marry in secret. Iago, whom Othello trusts completely, envies him his happiness, especially after Othello has promoted Cassio (Theodor Loos) instead of him. Iago now secretly plots to take revenge on Othello. In doing so, he shamelessly exploits the good faith of Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, his own wife Emilia (Lya de Putti) and the rich fool Rodrigo (Ferdinand von Alten). Iago has realised that Othello's greatest weakness is unbridled jealousy. He therefore skilfully sows more and more doubts about Desdemona's fidelity until he has driven Othello and everyone else involved to disaster.

At the end, Buchowetzki deviates from the original. The great French director René Clair praised him for this free interpretation, which follows the spirit rather than the letter of the play. Overall, 'Othello' was well received by contemporary critics. Even the American trade journal 'Variety', which was traditionally rather critical of European films, wrote: 'From an artistic point of view, the film is a triumph. Emil Jannings' Othello is a magnificent acting performance, and the production leaves nothing to be desired', only to immediately question the commercial value of such art films in America.

Today, Werner Krauß in the role of Iago seems more remarkable than Emil Jannings, who can be seen playing a similar role in many films. There is probably no other film in which the busy Krauß plays such a perfidious villain. He does this superbly here, knowing full well that the villain Iago in 'Othello' - as so often - is the real star of the play, because he is much more interesting than the naive hero and also always informs the audience in advance about his diabolical plans. The matter becomes particularly remarkable when one realises that Krauß' portrayal of Iago can certainly be seen as a foreshadowing of the inglorious, inhuman positions and roles that the later bearer of the Iffland Ring took on in the Third Reich. Just think of his 'embodiment of the Jewish people' in Veit Harlan's infamous propaganda film 'Jud Süß'.

The essence of Buchowetzki's film is above all the interplay between two masterful actors, who are provided with grandiose buildings and effective sets. Like 'Danton', 'Othello' often appears stage-like, which is of course appropriate for the subject matter. However this Shakespeare is not academically anaemic, but a juicy adaptation.

I was looking forward to this release of OTHELLO with the same sort of anticipation that I had reserved for Kino's RICHARD III. Therefore I must confess that I found this DVD something of a disappointment which has nothing to do with the film itself but rather with the presentation. My biggest complaint is with the piano score written to accompany the film. It's not a bad score but it seems inadequate for the story and for the visuals especially after hearing Ennio Morricone's score for RICHARD III. An orchestral or chamber music score would have been more appropriate. There's also a considerable lack of information about the main feature. Where are the credits?

Having said that I found the film itself a delight. While not a literal adaptation of OTHELLO, it conveys the psychological essence of the play quite well. This is after all a German silent with the appropriate visual look and stylised performances that are to be expected with such a film. The performances of Emil Jannings and Werner Krauss are simply marvelous especially Krauss whose Iago resembles the Mephistopheles that Jannings would portray in FAUST two years later. His remarkable resemblance to Terry Jones of MONTY PYTHON adds a little something extra for today's audience. It's interesting but not surprising that Lya De Putti as Emilia receives higher billing than Ica von Lenkeffy as Desdemona. Her relationship with Iago is far more interesting than that of Othello and Desdemona. Hungarian actress De Putti appeared in a number of important German silents including THE INDIAN TOMB and VARIETY. Ica von Lenkeffy, another Hungarian actress, has little to do except stand around and look pretty which is often the case with Desdemona on film.

Director Dmitri Buchowetzki mixes potent visuals, close ups, and large scale crowd scenes to great effect. The print is less than perfect but is probably the best available and is still very fine. The supplements are a definite plus and here the piano accompaniment fits quite nicely. The 1911 DESDEMONA takes the top honors. The resemblance of Ronald Colman's A DOUBLE LIFE to it did not go unnoticed. Check out Biograph's 1908 TAMING OF THE SHREW for a rare glimpse of Florence Lawrence, the original Biograph Girl, who portrays Katherine. There is also early Max Linder in ROMEO TURNS BANDIT and interesting costumes in DUEL SCENE FROM MACBETH. All in all a valuable release and a must for silent film fans. It's really good but it could have been even better...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.