Othello

Director Oliver Parker wanted to make Othello a more "pacy" story, so he omitted quite a lot of the original text when writing this version for the screen. Luckily, the cuts and alterations that he has made do little damage to the old Shakesperean chestnut. I wouldn't say that any of the tweaks are particularly for the better, but the essence of Shakespeare's tale of envy, jealousy and deceit is so powerful that it would take a bungling fool - an Ed Wood wannabe, for instance - to rob it of its power. The weighty themes shine through as strongly as ever in this latest presentation.

Laurence Fishburne plays the titular character, a renowned Moorish soldier. His courage has impressed young Venetian lady Desdemona (Irene Jacob) and the pair of them secretly marry. However, her father is displeased by this secret ceremony and he warns Othello that if she can deceive her own father then she may one day do the same to him. One of Othello's soldiers, Iago (Kenneth Branagh) fails to get a promotion of rank which he feels he deserves, and to gain revenge he engineers a series of lies and incidents designed to convince Othello that his wife is being disloyal to him by fornicating with another man.

Inevitably, viewers may find themselves comparing this version with other productions. How does it rank alongside the 1952 Orson Welles version and the 1965 Laurence Olivier one? To be honest, it depends upon the viewer. Purists would probably opt for the Olivier offering, since it is only very slightly abridged and contains such strong performances that all four lead actors earned Oscar nominations. Film buffs might go for the Welles version, with its moody b&w lighting and a now-classic murder scene, not to mention the fact that the production history itself is as fascinating as the story. This version will undoubtedly find favour with viewers more inclined towards modern tastes. It has high production values, a sweeping score, accessible delivery of the lines, flashy photography, and "cool" stylistic touches (Fishburne's head tattoo, for instance). Personally, I feel the 1952 Othello will always be the benchmark, but this one is reasonably well made and it compares quite favourably with other versions.

As my Shakespeare Professor had mentioned, the part of Othello is highly challenging, which is why many don't perfect it or intend to play it. Larry Fishburne however did a magnificent job! He provided us an astonishing portrayal of how even a noble, righteous and even intelligent man, can succumb to "the green eyed monster." The calculatingly evil Iago was FLAWLESSLY portrayed by veteran Shakespearian actor Kenneth Branagh, who occasionally stared into the eyes of the camera itself, explaining his dark plans and expectations.

While maintaining the location and time period of the original play, this film gives us a much clearer insight into Othello as a character and as a story than many of the supposedly more important versions. The dialogue is trimmed to what is essential, the settings are atmospheric, and the cast is great. You will never forget the story after you see this version.

I rented this film mainly to see Kenneth Branagh once again, but was totally surprised by the entire cast, especially Laurence Fishbourne who portrayed Othello brilliantly. The dignified, regal Fishbourne transforms Othello into a tragic figure with restraint, control and believability. It was also an added surprise to see two actors from Brahagh's Hamlet: Michael Maloney and Nicholas Farrel. And any film with Nathaniel Parker is a pleasure. Branagh brought a depth to Iago that I hadn't seen before, especially during the scene on the beach when he and Othello hug. Iago in tears? And then again at the final scene. Iago was evil, yes, but for an actor to find a few moments to make him human -that's when the audience knows something extraordinary has happened on stage or screen. See this film.

I like the full versions of Shakespeare on film and will happily put in the effort for the reward. However I do like the cut versions (Richard III, Romeo & Juliet etc), yes they are for the short of attention MTV generation, but is that a bad thing?

It's good to get a new generation into these plays. In this version Brannagh gives an effortless performance (he can do shakespeare in his sleep) and Fishburne is great as the main character tortured by the betrayal and lack of honour of those around him.(although at times i was listening for the "Shaft" theme song - he did play it a bit street-tuff at time!).

A cut version yes, but it looks beautiful and is more accesible than other versions.