Film

Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in New York, plus articles, trailers and more
 

Othello (1995)

Director: Oliver Parker

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Though purists may decry the number of textual excisions and accent-watchers balk at the mix of French, Italian, English and tidied-up Brooklyn on offer here, Parker's first feature is a highly engaging attempt at Shakespeare's most domestic tragedy. Set in various Italian locations, the film obeys the cardinal rule which helps Iago to ensnare the jealous Moor and allows us to forget much of the play's innate absurdity: speed in all things. Using the camera well to explore reactions from onlookers and the main participants, Parker allows Branagh to assume the ring-master role in what is the actor's finest screen performance to date: an Iago rooted in reality, torn and muddied by the art of warfare, but still determined to work his poisonous will; a villain inspired by sexual jealousy but also by a banal, inexplicable malice, superbly hinted at in several perky asides. Fishburne is exotic, proud, bald and more than usually violent. The flashbacks and bed-scenes work, and the idea of having Cassio (Nathaniel Parker) slip Othello his suicide weapon is typically intelligent. But most importantly, everyone gets better as the film progresses, especially Fishburne whose early reserve explodes into passion, violence and moving sorrow.

Author: SGr 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Cast & crew

Director: Oliver Parker

Producer: Luc Roeg, David Barron

Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Irène Jacob, Kenneth Branagh, Nathaniel Parker, Michael Maloney, Anna Patrick, Indra Ove, Nicholas Farrell, Michael Sheen full cast

Duration: 123 mins


Features

Making a name for himself

Making a name for himself

Sin Nombre's Cary Joji Fukunaga learned his lessons well.

To the letter

Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.

Mind over matter

David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.

Fool's gold

Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.

We are the championed

Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."

A history of violence

Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.

True romantic

James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.

Playing in the dark

MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.

Junk bonds

Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.