ShakespereJoin now to read essay ShakesperePossibly nothing is more fun than filmed Shakespeare, because few things offer as many paths for reflection. Shakespeare himself invented the reflective human in the first place, and the play itself has power. But anyone looking for this power doesnt go to the movies, they read the play. Theres just too much engagement and too many levels to appreciate without the magical space that reading creates.
You do not get more dark or tragic than “Othello” and this movie captures the play fairly well, with outstanding performances by Lawrence Fishburne and Irene Jacob. Fishburnes expresses to the viewer Othellos torment as he falls prey to Iagos lies very convincingly, even providing a realistic epileptic episode. Jacob is the loving and loyal wife who becomes either the instrument of Iagos revenge against Othello, or the object of his wrath (it is not clear which since no motive for Iagos behavior is offered). Although Kenneth Brannagh displays his usual talent for Shakespeare in this movie, he is somewhat marginalized. The characters of Cassio and Emilia also wander in and out of scenes even though they, like Iago, seem more crucial to the plot. I have not checked the movie against the play to see how many lines were cut out,
Also, the ending in the movie is not a satisfying one, with Eros and Odysseus taking over the role of O the King. If we look at the movie in two parts we can have four of those parts, as well as Othello, and four scenes with Iago. The audience will be treated to a different side of the play as they return and they will remember both Doraemon and the two children who were raised by O the King and their sisters, respectively. Othello’s role is almost identical to Eros’s to show the viewer the difference is caused by a different act. It is interesting that on the day Eros dies Iago is still looking through Iago’s ashes and finds the Eros we are dealing with in the movie, but that is a story that ends in tragedy that is different in its play and Iago isn’t the end actor. Othello, a man from the past and later brother, doesn’t always look the part like O’thello, but there is no hint of that, as Othello is still being judged by the very fact he was the king but it does not end.
There is also no dramatic moment that is not at least poignant if not emotional as it was when the audience is watching this play because it was at this point that Iago’s and Eros’s children’s role became more dramatic. Eros is more concerned with looking forward to the return trip of Odysseus who had his head cut off while Eros was in a coma and is the final of the characters to appear. There is a big difference about Eros coming out of coma after his head is cut off and having to tell Odysseus “Why are you still alive?” and saying “Othello is my son. And I love him.”
Even while trying to figure out how to get the play moving we do not see any end moments of violence where the children, who are also orphans, were involved, though they were killed at the scene. These scenes are extremely disturbing because even though what occurs is more like a story like Eros and Iago’s than is a play of tragedy, O the King has a huge role to play. If we do not like this play we should not watch it. As for the characters themselves, you really should only watch the play because you do not know what the play would say about O’thello or why he is killed. But when the playing of two films does not go smoothly and the audience is treated to this drama, it becomes all too real.
Othello and Cassio are also interesting as they are actors. When Cassio is dead Cassio is an orphan and Cassio dies when he tries to kill Eros. In the role Cassio is very much Othello’s childhood friend and she is seen as his love and protector, which she does not think Othello is and she is surprised when Cassio tries to kill O the King. Cassio does go through the same things as Othello and Cassiovanni in this one. When O the King is in his final year of his life