Othello (1995 film)

Othello
Promotional film poster
Directed by	Oliver Parker
Produced by	David Barron
Written by	William Shakespeare
Starring	Laurence Fishburne Irène Jacob Kenneth Branagh Nathaniel Parker Michael Maloney Anna Patrick Nicholas Farrell Indra Ové Michael Sheen André Oumansky Philip Locke John Savident Gabriele Ferzetti Pierre Vaneck
Music by	Charlie Mole
Cinematography	David Johnson
Editing by	Tony Lawson
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures Warner Bros (2001 DVD Release)
Release date(s)	December 15, 1995 (1995-12-15)
Running time	123 minutes
Country	United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	$11 million
Box office	$2,844,379 (United States)

Othello is a 1995 film based on William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. It was directed by Oliver Parker and stars Laurence Fishburne as Othello, Irène Jacob as Desdemona, and Kenneth Branagh as Iago. This is the first cinematic reproduction of the play released by a major studio that casts an African-American actor to play the role of Othello, although low-budget independent films of the play starring Ted Lange and Yaphet Kotto predated it.

Adaptation

Main article: Othello

The film, shot in Italy, follows the story of the play closely, but cuts many lines. In addition it adds scenes not in the play, including a sex scene between Othello and Desdemona, dreams in which Othello imagines Desdemona's supposed affair with Cassio, a scene in which Desdemona dances for Othello and a final scene in which the bodies of those killed are buried at sea. The film also uses strong imagery - at the moment that Emilia says that men belch women when they are done with them, Iago, who has used her in his plot against Othello, is seen closing the door in the background.

Cast

Characters
Role	Actor
Othello	Laurence Fishburne
Desdemona	Irène Jacob
Iago	Kenneth Branagh
Cassio	Nathaniel Parker
Roderigo	Michael Maloney
Emilia	Anna Patrick
Montano	Nicholas Farrell
Bianca	Indra Ové
Lodovico	Michael Sheen

Reception

The film was not a financial success, grossing only $2.1 million in the United States on its $11 million budget (however, it had a very limited theater count). It received largely positive reviews, especially for Branagh's Iago. Janet Maslin wrote in the New York Times "Mr. Branagh's superb performance, as the man whose Machiavellian scheming guides the story of Othello's downfall, guarantees this film an immediacy that any audience will understand." Branagh was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance, in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role category.

External links

• Othello at the Internet Movie Database