Othello

1951

Action / Drama / History / Romance

19
IMDb Rating 7.5/10 10 10105 10.1K

husband wife relationship victim based on play or musical love murder interracial marriage

Plot summary

When a secret marriage is planned between Othello, a Moorish general, and Desdemona, the daughter of Senator Brabantio, her old suitor Roderigo takes it hard. He allies himself with Iago, who has his own grudge against Othello, and the two conspire to bring Othello down. When their first plan, to have him accused of witchcraft, fails, they plant evidence intended to make him believe Desdemona is unfaithful.

Director

Orson Welles Photo
Orson Welles

Top cast

Hilton Edwards Photo
Hilton Edwards as Brabantio
Joan Fontaine Photo
Joan Fontaine as Page
Joseph Cotten Photo
Joseph Cotten as Senator
Robert Coote Photo
Robert Coote as Roderigo
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
755.21 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24.000 fps
1 hr 30 min
Seeds ...
1.44 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24.000 fps
1 hr 30 min
Seeds 8

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Christopher_Reid 8 / 10

Great cinematography, a tragic but flawed story

Right from the start, Othello has a striking visual style. Oblique camera angles (from low and high, close and far), nice use of shadows, a cool-looking castle. Really nice black-and-white imagery to look at.On the other hand, I wasn't as convinced by the story and acting (but they grew on me as the film continued). There are many parts where actors seem to rush or mumble their lines. Shakespeare is hard enough to follow and a good performance should draw you in and make the dialogue *easier* to understand. Characters are often facing away so we hear their lines but can't see their mouths or their facial expressions. What's the point of acting then? I can act if acting means reciting lines from a Shakespearean play.I have since learned that Welles was struggling with funds for the movie and that explains some of its short-comings. Especially with sound. He had to dub some of the lines himself and there remain parts which are clearly out of sync. It's hilarious to learn that he borrowed/took costumes from another movie to use on Othello. And that costumes weren't ready for one scene so he changed the location to a bathhouse with the actors in towels.I find the story flawed. Iago is single-handedly able to manipulate Othello to his will. Iago is unlikable because of his misanthropy but Othello may be even more unlikable in his stupidity. He never thinks to properly analyse or question what Iago presents to him as the truth. He barely seems to communicate with his wife at all and becomes consumed by his obsessions and assumptions. But I do somewhat admire Iago's patience and intelligence, he makes a good villain. And there is real tragedy to what happens. It's conceivable that some unfortunate coincidences could help a seed of suspicion grow into the full-hearted conviction that you're being lied to. And to desire revenge is all too human. It's just funny that nobody suspects Iago. Othello would prefer to believe that everyone else is against him.I found the ending climactic and meaningful. Some of it took me by surprise, other parts felt inevitable. I'm aware that Welles shortened the play a lot and may have taken liberties with it. At least I now have a rough idea of what Othello is about; I feel more educated. I liked all of the actors but Micheál MacLiammóir (a Dublin actor in his only feature film role) stands out as the antagonist. There's something about his eyes and calm indifference. Less is more.Summarising, Othello is rewarding for its villain, its believable tragic turn of events and the enjoyable, creative cinematography. Now if only Othello could learn the scientific method...
Reviewed by AlsExGal 9 / 10

From director Orson Welles

Welles also stars as the title character, a Moorish war hero in 16th century Venice. He's happily married to the fair Desdemona (Suzanne Cloutier), but scheming ensign Iago (Michael MacLiammoir) plots to drive Othello mad with jealousy by planting seeds of distrust concerning Desdemona's fidelity.Welles ran into his usual trouble securing financing, and this was shot piecemeal over time. Despite this difficulty, I found the finished product to be fantastic, and one my favorite Shakespeare adaptations. The endlessly atmospheric B&W cinematography, the unusual for the time editing, the disconcerting score and sound design, the incredible sets and locations, and stellar performances from all involved made this one of the best viewing experiences that I've had in some while. Welles was ahead of his time with the film's look, camera angles, and editing, while exhibiting an old master's knowledge of the use of shadows and perspective to accent scenes and illustrate the inner workings of the characters. The film has a haunted, at-times surreal quality, and most of it is dreamlike without being incoherent.This movie makes me wonder what Welles could have done with Hamlet. Shakespeare purists may be put off by the judicious editing done to the original work (the 3-hour play is rendered into a 90+ minute movie), but the spirit is maintained. This is the third version of Othello that I've seen filmed, after the 1965 take with Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith and Frank Findlay in the leads, and the 1995 version with Laurence Fishburne, Irene Jacob and Kenneth Branagh. This Welles version is my favorite. Highly recommended.
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