Verdi's famous opera is brought to life in this production. The immortal tale of the noble Moor and his beautiful young wife, and of his lieutenant, whose jealousy and lust for power lead him to commit the ultimate treason.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Plácido Domingo | ... |
Otello
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Katia Ricciarelli | ... |
Desdemona
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| Justino Díaz | ... |
Iago
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Petra Malakova | ... |
Emilia
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| Urbano Barberini | ... |
Cassio
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| Massimo Foschi | ... |
Lodovico
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Edwin Francis | ... |
Montano
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Sergio Nicolai | ... |
Roderigo
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| Remo Remotti | ... |
Brabantio
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Antonio Pierfederici | ... |
Doge
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Enzo Marino Bellanich |
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Gabriella Borni | ... |
Dancer Soloist
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Peter Lapres | ... |
Cassio's Aide
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Alessandro Spadorcia |
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| Benito Barbieri | ... |
(uncredited)
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David Allen Mann | ... |
Venetian Officer (uncredited)
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| Daniela Merlo | ... |
Member of Chorus (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Franco Zeffirelli | ||
Written by
| Arrigo Boito | ... | (libretto) |
| Franco Zeffirelli | ... | (adaptation) & |
| Masolino D'Amico | ... | (adapted for the screen by) |
| William Shakespeare | ... | (inspired by play "Othello") |
Produced by
| Yoram Globus | ... | producer |
| Menahem Golan | ... | producer |
| Fulvio Lucisano | ... | associate producer |
| John Thompson | ... | executive producer |
Cinematography by
| Ennio Guarnieri | ||
Editing by
| Franca Silvi | ||
| Peter Taylor | ||
Editorial Department
| Patrizia Ceresani | ... | assistant editor |
| Omneya 'Nini' Mazen | ... | post-production assistant |
Production Design by
| Franco Zeffirelli | ||
Art Direction by
| Gianni Quaranta | ||
Costume Design by
| Anna Anni | ||
| Maurizio Millenotti | ||
Makeup Department
| Carlo Barucci | ... | assistant hair stylist |
| Desiree Corridoni | ... | hair stylist (as Desideria Corridoni) |
| Maria Teresa Corridoni | ... | key hair stylist |
| Giorgio Gregorini | ... | hair stylist |
| Alfredo Marazzi | ... | key makeup artist |
Production Management
| Roberto Giussani | ... | production supervisor |
| Michael Hartman | ... | production supervisor (as Mike Hartman) |
| Renato Pecoriello | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Pippo Pisciotto | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Fabio Carussi | ... | carpenter |
| Hrysa Daponte | ... | assistant art director |
| Domenico Mancino | ... | blacksmith |
Sound Department
| Roberto Edwin Forrest | ... | sound recordist |
| Renato Giannelli | ... | sound mixer |
| Stanley B. Gill | ... | sound recordist |
| Edmondo Gintili | ... | additional effects editor |
| Maurizio Merli | ... | boom operator |
| Luciano Muratori | ... | supervising sound editor: recut/remix |
| Doug E. Turner | ... | re-recording mixer |
Special Effects by
| Claudio Quaglietti | ... | special effects technician |
Stunts
| Stefano Maria Mioni | ... | stunts |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Deborah Imogen Beer | ... | still photographer |
| Nino Cristiani | ... | camera operator |
| Claudio Gallicchio | ... | electrician |
| Massimo Intoppa | ... | assistant camera |
| Sergio Strizzi | ... | still photographer |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Enrico Serafini | ... | assistant costume designer |
Location Management
| Lanfranco Diotallevi | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Giulio Bertola | ... | chorus master |
| Ezio Di Cesare | ... | singing voice: Urbano Barberini |
| Michael Johns | ... | music editor |
| Lorin Maazel | ... | conductor / music producer |
| John Macurdy | ... | singing voice: Massimo Foschi |
| Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala | ... | musician (as Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala di Milano) |
| Giannicola Pigliucci | ... | singing voice: Remo Remotti |
| Edward Toumajian | ... | singing voice: Edwin Francis |
| Giuseppe Verdi | ... | music by |
| Constantin Zaharia | ... | singing voice: Sergio Nicolai |
| John Kurlander | ... | balance engineer (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Renata Franceschi | ... | continuity |
Additional Crew
| Fabiomassimo Dell'Orco | ... | production assistant |
| Marcello Lanza | ... | assistant accountant |
| Eugene Rizzo | ... | unit publicist |
| Antonio Stefanucci | ... | production secretary |
| Alberto Testa | ... | choreographer |
Production Companies
- Cannon City Produktie Maatschappij B.V.
- Cannon Productions (co-production)
- Italian International Film (co-production)
- RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana (associate production)
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1986) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Cannon Film Distributors (1986) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Cannon Film Distributors Ltd. (1986) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Hoyts Distribution (1986) (Australia) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Scotia-Cannon (1986) (West Germany) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1987) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video (1987) (Australia) (VHS) (subtitled)
- Rank Video Library (1987) (United Kingdom) (VHS) (subtitled)
- Kultur Video (1988) (United States) (VHS) (subtitled)
- Viacom (1989) (United States) (tv) (syndication)
- Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Emerald (2012) (Argentina) (DVD)
- EuroVideo (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
- Jakob (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
- Silver Star DVD (Greece) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Abbey Road Studios (music mixing and recording)
- EMI Classics (soundtrack published by)
- Nino Lembo (jewelry)
- Rocchetti e Carboni (wigs)
- Rubechini Carlo S.a.c. (jewelry)
- The Mark Baron Company (marketing)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Based on Shakespeare's play, Verdi's opera depicts the devastating effects of jealousy, "...the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds upon". Believing Otello has promoted the fast-rising Cassio over himself, Iago plots to destroy both Cassio and Otello. Iago convinces the jealous Otello that his beautiful wife Desdemona is unfaithful, and that Cassio is her lover. Jealousy is followed by tragedy, then retribution, "Has Heaven no more thunderbolts?"
Written by Mike Smith |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Franco Zeffirelli later said that out of all the films he ever made, "Otello" is his favorite, and admitted that after he made the picture, he had "a bit of a crisis" because he felt that he could never be able to duplicate that achievement. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films (2014). See more » |