Othello

Rating:
Summary: Good directing & strong acting make this very watchable
Review: The best Shakespeare films are watchable again and again - those of Olivier, Orson Welles, the BBC Shakespeare of the late &0's/early 80's - they allow you to savor the poetry and performance. I like this version of Othello because of that. It's very watchable. The direction corrects a major problem of the Branagh films - Branagh's overuse of extreme closeups, which make watching his Hamlet (fine on the first few goes) so tedious on repeated viewings (he used less of them in his brilliant Henry V). Hence the director of this Othello helps Branagh the actor turn in one of his finest performances - because we're not always two inches from his face. Fishbourne as Othello is quite strong, too. The director helps him turn in an above average performance in a difficult role which is no longer socially acceptable to be performed by white actors "blacking up," as the stage term is. The supporting cast is mostly made up of veteran stage actors - you will notice many faces from other Shakespeare movies - and is very strong. Irene Worth looks lovely - just as Desdemona should. I don't see why so many reviewers complain that text is cut from this film - text is cut from almost ALL Shakespeare films - Gibson's Hamlet, Olivier's and Welles' versions, Branagh's too (except for Hamlet). If you like the story and the play this is a good performance to watch. Orson Welles' Othello is very dramatic, too, with a fine supporting cast of Scotch actors with wonderful accents. Olivier's Othello, one of the last of the "black up" versions in a tradion stretching back hundreds of years, has much more of the play if you're worried about the cutting. Anthony Hopkins BBC Shakespeare has almost the whole play but Hopkins performance is a little too mad (and maddening!) for some - it's also a "black up." Look out for Trevor Nunn's recent British production which was released briefly on video in the UK if you have a multiplayer VCR (I recommend Samsung's model).

Rating:
Summary: The movie gave a modernization to the original play.
Review: The movie gave me a better perception of the play Othello because it is visual. with books you have to imagine and figure out really what the person is thinking. In the movie the peoples expressions explain it all.

Rating:
Summary: Great Desdemona, [Junky] Iago
Review: The movie is pretty good except for the parts when Iago talks directly to the camera. That is so annerving/annoying! It totally distracts from the play. Desdemona was superiorly played in this movie though, so it's worth a look. What can I say about Othello. He's Laurence Fishburne. Of course he's good. ;)

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful modern interpretation.
Review: The newest version of Othello holds up perfectly well next to its older, more respected counterparts. Kenneth Branagh is perhaps the best Iago ever put on film; his cold, poisonous gaze is truly frightening. Laurence Fishburne handles himself adequately as The Moor (and is, by the way, the first African-American to play the role in a major motion picture). Irene Jacobs struggles some with her lines, English not being her first language, but her wonderful, luminous facial expressions carry her through just fine. The play is not a complete version, having been cut a bit, but most of the trimmings were not of much importance to the plot or characters.

Rating:
Summary: this laurence is no olivier
Review: the only thing this version has on olivier's version is its natural setting. otherwise, all - and i do mean ALL - of the performances are decidedly inferior to the 1965 film. first of all, laurence fishburne is NO olivier. not even close. he was pathetic. most of the time he sounded like he was reading the script, not speaking heartfelt words of a real flesh and blood man. and branagh, i don't know what happened to him but he was not convincing as a villain. he just looks too much like a goody-goody. compare him to the fellow who played iago in olivier's film and you'll see the problem right way. just no comparison. after these two, what do you have? desdemona, maggie smith much more convincing as the virtuous lady. even emilia, iago's abused wife, is better played in olivier's film.

so 3 stars for a nice try. but the 1965 performance is still the standard to measure this play by. it will be along time before another actor comes along who can play othello as well as olivier. i'm not holding my breath.

ps the orson welles version of this play is the best movie version, and his portrayal of othello is almost as good olivier's. also worth a watch.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting way of portraying a well known story.
Review: The story of the Moor of Venice is well known, but Branagh has managed to give it an original look. Lawrence Fishburne as Othello does not portray the usual tragic hero, but instead sets Othello down as a self-important, foolish man who brings most of his misfortune on his own head. Branagh himself, as Jago appears at first as a not so very unsympathetic person, with just cause for complaint, instead of the usual lean and mean villain and even in the end, as his evil work is exposed, he has more dignity in his silent acceptance of defeat than Othello can muster in his bragging to the end. It took some getting used to, but on the whole I found this a more realistic portrayal of the story than the normal version. Backed up by good directing and a good supporting cast ( Irene Jacob is particularly effective as Desdemona, a not so very bright young woman, completely overwelmed by her famous husband ) this may not be Branagh's best work, but it is certainly worth watching for anyone withan interest in Shakespeare.

Rating:
Summary: Look to your wife
Review: This is a dark version of a dark play. Not just in feel and drama, but in setting. I believe only a scene or two is filmed in the daylight. The bulk of this film takes place in the dank cellars, the dark of night and the closed bedrooms where intrigue and guile rule the day.

This is an unusual Shakespeare adaptation, in that nothing funky is being done with it. There is no twist in the time setting, no song and dance, no Italian wonderment. It is about as straight of an adaptation as I have seen. Being this, it lacks any distinction or special genius, but it is quite an able piece of film.

Laurence Fishburn is a great Othello, delivering the lines and slipping under Iago's silver spell. He lacks a certain aura of strength generally associated with Othello, but is otherwise excellent. Kenneth Branagh is a superior Iago, and this may be one of the best performances he has given. He plays an excellent villain, and his performance is the one bright flare in the the film. The dialog is well done, staying with Branagh's conversational style. The rest of the cast are all capable players, easily recognizable from the Shakespeare on film stable.

All in all, I really enjoy this film. It is not a work of genius. It is not amazing. But it is an excellent, workman like filmed version of a difficult play and a worthy edition to any Shakespeare on film collection.

Rating:
Summary: Go with another version
Review: This is one of the worst adaptations of Shakespeare yet done for the big screen. The script is completely butchered and the direction is more reminiscent of an MTV video than of Shakespeare. Irene Jacob can't really speak english all that well, so the performance is completely lost, and Brannagh gets just a little too full of himslef. Try another version. Please. The Bard was never meant to look this bad. Especially not for one of his greatest works.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: This is Othello at its best. I've seen James Earl Jones in the role and Fishburn tops his performance. Seeing this movie after the fact (almost 3 years after it came out) I was dumbfounded that Fishburn didn't win an Oscar for it, let alone even be nominated. A true travesty. Branagh was yet again perfect as Iago. This is the absolute best that Hollywood could have put out.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Pleasing Film
Review: This is the first film version of Othello I have seen, and I was not disappointed in it. Lawrence Fishburne was extremely engaging and handsome. Branagh directs the film so as to showcase Othello's beauty, charm, ability--all the things that won Desdemona's heart--and then casts us, with Othello, into the whirlpool of his naivete, uncertainty and low self esteem. The actress portraying Desdemona was wonderful, as was the actress portraying Emilia. Branagh's Iago was not as sinister as I read him in the text...it seemed that Branagh was trying to provide some justification for his evil. Shakespeare's Iago is evil incarnate. He says nothing that isn't a lie, and he has no motivation other than evil for its own sake...I think Branagh missed that, somehow. But, in the scene on the roof, he did a very good job explaining Iago...as Iago and Othello embrace, you see that empty longing in Iago's face. He loves/hates Othello for being all he cannot be so he must destroy him by using Othello's own human frailties against him.