Othello (1995)

The evil Iago pretends to be friend of Othello in order to manipulate him to serve his own end in the film version of this Shakespeare classic.

Director:

Oliver Parker

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play), Oliver Parker (adaptation)

Stars:

Laurence Fishburne, Irène Jacob, Kenneth Branagh

3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Laurence Fishburne	...	Othello
Irène Jacob	...	Desdemona
Kenneth Branagh	...	Iago
Nathaniel Parker	...	Michael Cassio
Michael Maloney	...	Roderigo
Anna Patrick	...	Emilia
Nicholas Farrell	...	Montano
Indra Ové	...	Bianca
Michael Sheen	...	Lodovico
André Oumansky	...	Gratiano
Philip Locke	...	1st Senator
John Savident	...	2nd Senator
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Duke of Venice
Pierre Vaneck	...	Brabantio

Storyline

Iago convinces Othello, The Moor of Venice that his wife, Desdemona has been unfaithful. Iago is an evil, manipulative character with his own agenda. A plot of jealousy and rage transpires in this classic Shakespearean tale.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | jealousy | moor | racism | suspicion | 

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Taglines:

Envy, greed, jealousy and love.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Otelo

Filming Locations:

Orsini Castle, Bracciano, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,112,951 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Dakota Films, Imminent Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Iago seeks revenge on Othello, in part, because Othello makes Cassio his second in command. Iago is played in this film by Kenneth Branagh, whose mentor, Derek Jacobi, made his debut as Cassio in Othello.

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Goofs

Gov. Montano stops Cassio from beating Roderigo, and Cassio's sword is raised above his head. Montano says, "You're drunk" and Cassio's response, "Drunk?" is accompanied by the sound of his already drawn sword being pulled from its scabbard for attack.

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Quotes

Othello: I kissed thee ere I killed thee: no way but this; Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.

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Connections

Version of The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (1981)

User Reviews

Beautifully crafted film!

I rented this film mainly to see Kenneth Branagh once again, but was totally surprised by the entire cast, especially Laurence Fishbourne who portrayed Othello brilliantly. The dignified, regal Fishbourne transforms Othello into a tragic figure with restraint, control and believability. It was also an added surprise to see two actors from Brahagh's Hamlet: Michael Maloney and Nicholas Farrel. And any film with Nathaniel Parker is a pleasure. Branagh brought a depth to Iago that I hadn't seen before, especially during the scene on the beach when he and Othello hug. Iago in tears? And then again at the final scene. Iago was evil, yes, but for an actor to find a few moments to make him human -that's when the audience knows something extraordinary has happened on stage or screen. See this film.