Othello

Rating:
Summary: Give it a chance...
Review: Take Shakespeare's "Othello", stick it in modern-day England, (where both John Othello and Ben Jago *Iago* work at Scotland Yard,) take some prominent BBC actors, and you've got Masterpiece Theater's "Othello". It's hard not to automaticlly classify most "modern adaptations" as lame... but it's only fair to give them a chance, eh?

If you need even one reason to see this... it's Christopher Eccleston. He is one evil butt-munch. Smiling one minute, glaring daggers the next... and he can pull it off. He's a pretty talented actor, so it's pretty fun to watch him go psycho, lol. It should be a nice addition to any collection of Shakespeare videos. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, but disappointed with DVD
Review: The DVD of this program is approximately 10 minutes shorter than the version shown on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre. While watching the DVD, I remembered there were scenes with Dessie's father, played by Joss Ackland, that were not included. It is also not the same aspect ratio as the PBS version.

Rating:
Summary: Every generation gets the Shakespeare it deserves
Review: The fact that this movie was shown on PBS' stalwart Masterpiece Theatre is perhaps a bit misleading as to its true nature. This is not because of the quality of the program, which is in fact excellent, but because Masterpiece Theatre tends to conjure images of members of "polite society" taking tea in elegantly furnished drawing rooms. This latest take on "Othello" is very far from that indeed.

Adapted from Shakespeare's play by screen-writer Andrew Davies (of "Bridget Jones's Diary" fame), this telling of the classic tale is set in a London that seems unreal and yet far too concrete. While Davies re-casting of the story does indeed largely strip away Shaksepeare's language, playing out the story against the backdrop of a metropolitan police department charged with keeping order in a city where racial tensions are near the boiling point seems both a bold departure and yet somehow true to the spirit of the source material. Bearing in mind the familiarity of the story, there's no need to go into detail on that front, but suffice it to say that this interpretation does not shy away from its darker and sometimes disturbing aspects.

Along with Davies' excellent script, the heart of this film is in its two lead players, Eamonn Walker and Christopher Eccleston. Walker is best known for his role on HBO's "Oz," but I remember him best from a memorable role on the series finale of "Homicide." Eccleston recently appeared in "The Others" but cinema buffs may recognize him from Peter Medak's film "Let Him Have It." As Othello and Iago (renamed Jago in this version) respectively, both actors are marvelous, ranking among the best teams to portray this complex relationship. In fact, it's fair to say that the film would be worth watching for their performances alone.

There is, of course, more to the film than just their acting. Every aspect of the production excels, and though it was produced for television, there's no question it would have held its own as a theatrical release. Whether you love inventive approaches to Shakespeare or are simply looking for great drama, this "Othello" is for you.

Rating:
Summary: A Travesty
Review: This was an absolute travesty. This modern production of Shakespeare's Othello was awful and didn't even follow they story line. Sacrilege! The names were replaced with pathetic alternetives: Iago - Ben Jago, Othello - John Othello, Cassio - Micheal Cass, Emilia - Lulu? Lulu? haha where did that one come from. There were some stronger points to this, some of the black and white symbolism from the original was there but overall a complete disappoinment.

Rating:
Summary: Contemptible? Nonsense.
Review: Unless the writer of the critical review is a lot
older than the rest of us, he nor anyone else knows
what was or was not important to shakespeare.
Taking the story line and playing with it is just
good clean intellectual fun. Sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn't. But credit should
be given for the effort. In this case it works.
Grab a copy of the play, reread it, and then
sit down and enjoy this bit of fun.

Rating:
Summary: fantastic
Review: Unlike many Shakespeare enthusiasts, I adore modern adaptations and staging of Shakespeare's works. One of the reasons his plays have endured is that they have a timeless quality that is understood generation after generation. His stories capture something essential about human nature that cannot be confined to a historical period.

Some modern versions of Shakespeare use original dialogue with updated settings, costumes, and character relationships. This sometimes works very well, as in Ethan Hawke's Hamlet or the Julie Taymor's Titus (my favorite). In this version of Othello, however, the dialogue has been modernized to match the setting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I saw it in a class on Shakespeare's Tragedies at Syracuse University which was taught by a reknowned Shakespeare scholar. This was her choice as the best film version of Othello to show us. Othello is a story which translates particularly well into a modern version because it deals with issues such as racism, jealousy, and insecurity that make it applicable to a variety of situations. The acting in this movie is excellent - very believable and powerful. I highly recommend this movie to anyone, whether or not you have previous experience with Othello.



Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Updated version of the classic. Racism, jealously, greed, and treachery all set the stage for murderous mahem and make this movie an absolute must!

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Updated version of the classic. Racism, jealously, greed, and treachery all set the stage for murderous mahem and make this movie an absolute must!