Othello: Shakespeare Vs. Parker
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Othello: Shakespeare vs. Parker
To create an adaptation of a literary work is not an easy task, especially if it is a classic work by man named Shakespeare. Today movies are expected to be packed with drama, action, and sex. True, Othello contains all of these, but it certainly isnt a blockbuster by todays standards. When Shakespeare wrote Othello, viewing the play was an event in itself, not an hour and a half thrill ride that todays viewer have come to expect. This was Parkers dilemma, to create a concise adaptation that could hold its viewers. Still, with revisions and scene cuts Parkers film still runs a little over two hours. There many drawbacks to cutting scenes from an original work, one is loss of cohesion.
There are several obvious differences between Oliver Parkers motion picture version of Othello and the original work of William Shakespeare, the first of which is the amount of editing that was done by Parker for his film. As a result of Parkers revised material several differences emerge which vary from the adding of material to the diminished presence of certain characters. Symbols such as masks and chess pieces were added while the role of Emilia was greatly diminished. The clown was entirely excluded from Parkers film. More importantly however, are the broader changes in themes that this more concise version produces.
In the editing of Othello the movie, much of the original dialogue between the characters was left out, along with many of Othellos monologues. This is unfortunate, because the depth of Othellos plight is not felt through the experience of the movie as much as it is through the words of the play. Shakespeares original text does a very good job of allowing the reader to feel understanding of and sympathy for Othellos feelings of jealousy while the movie trivializes these feelings and makes it appear that he is severely overreacting. The depth of Othellos torment is also glossed over in Parkers film while the original text reiterates his inner conflict and emotionally tortured state.
This new perspective given to us by Parker not only changes the theme but distorts Shakespeares intentions. The reader