Pairs well with: other Orson Welles films, specifically Macbeth and Chimes at Midnight.Orson Welles's adaptation of Shakespeare's OTHELLO is a film of unusual beauty. It does what it sets out to do within 90 minutes, though. I think it would have made the production more difficult than it already was but with Othello, he crafted a silvery and majestic film that carried a strong, worthwhile message. Now while I feel that the pace and running time were fine, I was actually so into this that I wouldn’t have minded if Welles took this motion picture to the three hour mark. For instance, the aforementioned Charlton Heston, as well as frequent collaborator Joseph Cotton and his wife of four years, Rita Hayworth. While Welles certainly won’t downplay his performance, his best films are well cast with other players who can hang with him and enhance his scenes. It’s not that they are bad or incapable but next to Welles, they seem out of their depth and overpowered. Getting back to the film itself, I’d say that the only thing that somewhat hinders the picture is the rest of the cast. And it’s hard to deny the level of craftsmanship he put into the film as the visionary behind it.īesides, it was Welles himself who wrote in a 1944 issue of Free World magazine that, “Race hate must be outlawed.” He would also go on to star alongside Charlton Heston (in brownface) in 1958’s Touch of Evil, a film-noir dealing with racial tensions in a California/Mexico border town. I think that Welles knew this and he acted out the role of Othello with real passion. Regardless of how Welles had to present his vision, the film still carries that message and frankly, it’s films like this that helped eventually open some of the doors in Hollywood. I think that the point of the Othello story is its examination of racism. Had Welles cast a black actor, this is a real issue he would have had to deal with in how the picture was filmed and ultimately, in how it would have been received by audiences and within his own industry, who were still not willing to get past their own bigotry. The point is, Welles’ Othello predates Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner by 16 years. The first actual interracial kiss didn’t come until 1967’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and even then, it was obscured and shown in reflection. The kisses that were shot were edited out and the filmmakers only gave viewers a passionate dance and a romantic embrace. In fact, 1957’s Island In the Sun is said to be the film with the first interracial kiss but it actually isn’t. And it wasn’t because there weren’t talented black actors, it’s due to the fact that there had to be interracial exchanges of romance, which wasn’t allowed by Hollywood in 1951. That doesn’t make it right but for anyone trying to adapt Othello, this is a challenge that they had to deal with. Welles plays Othello and while in modern times white actors playing roles in blackface is considered highly offensive, it was a product of its day when this was made. Hell, just the opening sequence of robed silhouettes walking for five minutes in high contrast chiaroscuro is visually striking and sets the tone for the narrative, as well as the ocular allure. Welles is a maestro of mise-en-scène and he goes to great lengths in his shot framing, cinematography and lighting to make something so rich and alluring. While this isn’t as famous as his pictures Citizen Kane or The Magnificent Ambersons, it employs a lot of what he learned on those films. So whether he is behind the camera or in front of it, it’s near impossible not to be captivated on some level. He certainly didn’t fail and the end result is pretty exceptional.Īlthough, Orson Welles was a true filmmaking auteur and a remarkable actor. But it was also filmed in segments over several years, so the pace of the production could’ve also had an effect on the finished product and the creative liberties it took.īut I think that Orson Welles truly respected the material and tried to do the best adaptation he could. I just feel like it’s condensed with some alterations just to keep it at a reasonable running time. While it does alter the story somewhat, the gist of the story is here. I have to say though, this one is probably my favorite. Othello is one of my favorite plays by William Shakespeare and over the years I’ve seen several adaptations of it. It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” – Iago Scalera Film, Marceau Films, United Artists, 90 Minutes, 93 Minutes (TCM print) Music by: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, Alberto BarberisĬast: Orson Welles, Micheál Mac Liammóir, Suzanne Cloutier, Robert Coote Release Date: November 27th, 1951 (Turin premiere) Also known as: The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (original title), Orson Welles’ Othello (Germany)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |