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

First English-language movie of Irène Jacob.

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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

Iago: We cannot all be masters, nor all masters cannot truly be followed.

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Connections

Version of Othello (1955)

User Reviews

Shakespeare would have been pleased

While maintaining the location and time period of the original play, this film gives us a much clearer insight into Othello as a character and as a story than many of the supposedly more important versions. The dialogue is trimmed to what is essential, the settings are atmospheric, and the cast is great. You will never forget the story after you see this version.