Othello (Laurence Fishburne), a Moorish general in Venice's army, is dispatched to fight Turkish troops on Cyprus. Othello's recently married Desdemona (Irene Jacob), daughter of a disapproving Venetian Senator. Othello's aide Iago (Kenneth Branagh) seethes with anger over Othello promoting Cassio (Nathaniel Parker) over him. Enlisting wife Emilia (Anna Patrick) and Rodrigo (Michael Maloney) as unwitting pawns, Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are eloping. Naturally, tragic consequences ensue.
Othello's my favorite Shakespeare play for its delicious plotting and character dynamics. Othello engenders our sympathy as an outsider hero, respected for his usefulness but distrusted for his race. Driven to jealous rage, he reverts from civilized man to hateful alien. Desdemona, played well, is an interesting character: is she wronged innocent, impulsive lover or worldly victim? Yet Iago inevitably dominates. For unfathomable motives (jealousy? homoeroticism? fun?) he torments Othello, using every character's weakness as a weapon: Othello implicitly trusts Iago while suspecting his faithful wife. Only Richard III compares among Shakespeare's villains.
Parker lops off entire scenes, rearranges dialog and streamlines Shakespeare's plotting, but this is forgivable telescoping. More contentiously inserts interstitial material: Othello and Desdemona's wedding, several love scenes and dream sequences, mixed with additional historical context. The film's eroticism underscores the tragedy: Othello and Desdemona's marriage embodies reckless passion rather than epochal love. Iago's scheming seems credible, as Othello hasn't far to go for suspicions to fester.
Certainly Parker's direction proves handsome. Filming in Venice and other locales, he mixes period richness with the crowded shadows and uneasy angles of film noir. Parker's best device has Iago soliloquizing to the camera, chortling over the credulity of his costars. Othello's rich in imagery, from the Venice lido to the Cypriot beaches and ornate corridors, despite clunky symbolism like Iago's chess metaphor. Matched by Charlie Mole's excellent score, mixing mandolins and ominous strings, it's a treat to watch.
Laurence Fishburne does fine work: despite a bizarre accent, his vitality and anguish enliven Othello. But Kenneth Branagh steals the show. After his courageous Henry V and charming Benedict he turns to Shakespeare's greatest villain, and Branagh's smug, snappish Iago offers endless fun. Sadly, Irene Jacob's limited English and one-note simpering undermine our sympathy. Anna Patrick's Emilia proves more tragic. Michael Sheen grabs an early role; Gabriele Ferzetti (speaking English!) briefly appears as the Duke of Venice. Nathaniel Parker, Oliver's brother, plays Cassio.
Anyone adapting Shakespeare needs to square the source material's elegance with the exigences of film. Oliver Parker didn't provide Othello's most faithful adaptation, nor the most artistic (see Orson Welles' version). But it certainly scores as a lively, handsome dramatization.