Othello (1995)

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Oct 12, 2005

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Feb 11, 2005

One of the best...

By Yahoo! Shopping User  May 24, 2003 | 2 out of 2 found this Othello (1995) review helpful

this movie Ive seen as a play numerous times, however this was the best acted movie that actually followed the play Ive ever seen.

Sexy, Thoughtful, Fullfilling

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Mar 19, 2003

Fishburne is noble and gentle as the title character. I am wondering if he did some very subtle accent work for this character; whatever he did, it's very effective.

Branagh is a fantastic Iago; to watch his transitions from caring and comforting to plotting is heaven for a student actor like myself. He uses a simplicity with his asides to the camera, and yet maintains intensity.

The colors and costumes are good, the scene transitions are well thought out. Very accessible to modern audiences. Cut in the right places, I'd say.

Othello has everything a true tragedy sh

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Dec 10, 2001

If you are looking to watch a tragedy, you have come to the right place. Othello is the quintessence of all of Shakespeare's tragedies. From the moment it begins, it has an air of secrecy and deceit. It starts out with Iago and Roderigo talking about someone who has eloped with a woman that Roderigo loves. This scene develops the underlying theme of the entire play. Set first the city of Venice, then on the island of Cyprus, Othello is a favoured play about sexual jealousy and appearance versus reality.
Oliver Parker’s Othello has everything that a true tragedy should have. It has a exposition, an inciting force, a rising action, a climax, a dénouement, a moment of final suspense and a catastrophe. Showing all of this may seem like it could be difficult, but with a perfect tragedy such as Othello, it is extremely effortless. The one thing that may have been challenging was setting the mood. The tone for this play was tragic the whole way through. While Shakespeare clearly wanted Desdemona and Othello’s marriage to be noble, there was still an atmosphere of tragedy in their marriage. Firstly, there is not a “wedding night” in the play, but by showing it in the movie, Parker is depicting that they did have a good physical and emotional relationship. Secondly, the fact that Othello cannot trust that his wife remained faithful is horrible because it shows that he does not really know her. Desdemona is naturally honest and faithful. If Othello had truly known his wife, he would have seen that she would never cheat on him.
Laurence Fishburne plays Othello, a insanely insecure man who lets the devious Iago warp his love for Desdemona into a powerful and destructive distrust. Othello is by nature, too free and open, which is what truly lets Iago convince him that his wife has been dishonest. Irene Jacob plays the pure Desdemona. Jacob is the perfect Desdemona because she looks very child-like and innocent. Desdemona, may be pure and timid, but she is also very determined and able to look after herself.
This tragic love story contains all of the elements an audience would enjoy; love, distrust, deceit and jealousy. When everything comes crashing down for Desdemona and Othello in the final scenes, the viewers will share in the tragic nature of the play. We are left feeling the sorrow that is Othello.