Othello 1965

Laurence Olivier took on the role of the title character. And, apparently, he translated "black man" as, you know, BLACK MAN, and used up all of the black spray paint at the Home Depot. Is anyone this color?

Anyway. I'm not really what could be called a Shakespeare fan -- I can take him or leave him. This one, I'll leave. The framework's not bad: very much in love newlyweds Othello and Desdemona become the victims of Iago's plan to destroy Othello. The filming is also quite interesting - it's basically staged as though being performed in a theater. The sets are as you'd find them on a stage in front of footlights. It's certainly an cool idea, but it makes a hard-to-relate-to play that much more unreal.

Olivier, for me, is the biggest problem. He plays Othello as a confident man -- sure of his decisions and his wife and his control over his men. For some reason, though, he chooses to trust Iago implicitly and becomes a jealous maniac in no time flat. I hated the scenes in which he's whining and simpering to Iago as though he'd lost all ability to be a MAN. It's an uneven and kind of disgusting interpretation of this proud character.

Maggie Smith is luminous as Desdemona. She's not the beauty the script calls for, but she is the heart of the film. She's hurt, confused, trusting, helplessly in love, and defensive of her lover until the very end. Beautiful work.

C-