Othello Film Review

Replicating a play as intricate and complex as Shakespear's Othello is not easy. Condensing all the content from the book into an hour and a half movie requires the removal of some material but Parker managed to keep hold of many of the important quotes and stay true to the original language. The mood throughout the movie fluctuated in unison with the play, going from rough comedy, deep romance, and betrayal and then rapidly descending down to tragedy with few kinks. Camera angles and lighting gave off a dark mood during the tragedy scenes and brightness illuminated the screen during the shots of passion and joy. Serious shots were filmed zoomed in close and those grasping for the big picture were done with a wide angle.

The play was condensed down to an appropriate length without omitting any of the important content. The movie allowed Shakespeare veterans and beginners to enjoy a new generation of Shakespeare plays. The interpretations of the characters in the play paint them with intricate and colorful personalities and establish their motives with reasonable distinction. Parker's interpretation was displayed throughout the film but was set out in a way that the viewer's previous understanding could still shine through.

Few scenes were omitted and those that were held little value in the big picture. One omitted scene was in the final scene of the first act when the strategizing for the Cypress mission was replaces with a simple sweeping of Venetian ships to Cypress along a map. There were also additions that Oliver Parker made to strengthen the plot such as the vision Othello had of Casio and Desdemona engaging in Adultery. That vision lets us dive deeper into Othello's emotions to better feel what is going through his head.

Overall the film version of the play is executed with few missteps and the few that are there are easily overlooked in contrast to the scenes that he added. The Movie flows effortlessly and transitions from scene to scene in a matter that is visually appealing. I really enjoyed this interpretation of the play and as watching it in class was a real ray of sun compared to other works but to watch on your own time the filmed lacked modern visual stimulus and excitement.