{"id":82573,"date":"2022-03-29T13:53:51","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T20:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82573"},"modified":"2022-03-31T14:31:55","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T21:31:55","slug":"othello-1951","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82573","title":{"rendered":"Othello (1951)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I am not what I am.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Poster-203x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-82574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Poster-203x300.png 203w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Poster-86x128.png 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Poster-182x270.png 182w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Poster.png 561w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a Moorish military commander named Othello (Orson Welles) marries the daughter (Suzanne Cloutier) of a Venetian senator (Hilton Edwards), his evil ensign Iago (Miche\u00e1l MacLiamm\u00f3ir) begins to plant seeds of jealousy by falsely insisting that Desdemona (Cloutier) is having an affair with Othello&#8217;s captain Cassio (Michael Laurence).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cross-Cultural Romance<\/li>\n<li>Homicidal Spouses<\/li>\n<li>Jealousy<\/li>\n<li>Orson Welles Films<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptation<\/li>\n<li>Race Relations and Racism<\/li>\n<li>Shakespeare<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nOrson Welles&#8217;s production of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Othello\">the Shakespearean tragedy <em>Othello<\/em><\/a> was legendarily challenging to make, as chronicled in Welles&#8217;s 1979 documentary <em>Filming Othello<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellesnet.com\/filming_othello.htm\">the full transcript is available here<\/a>, and you can easily find the movie itself on YouTube). Just days into shooting, Welles learned that his Italian producer was going bankrupt, and that he would have to finance the film himself &#8212; which he did, by appearing in other movies and shooting the film in piecemeal over the next few years. The result is a highly atmospheric, bric-a-brac rendering of the play&#8217;s key scenes, sometimes filmed in silhouette or with stand-ins, and making creative use of whatever could save money &#8212; i.e., filming Roderigo&#8217;s death in a bathhouse given lack of any costumes: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Roderigo-Bath-House.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Roderigo-Bath-House.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"859\" height=\"664\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Roderigo-Bath-House.png 859w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Roderigo-Bath-House-300x232.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Roderigo-Bath-House-128x99.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Roderigo-Bath-House-768x594.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Roderigo-Bath-House-349x270.png 349w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 859px) 100vw, 859px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Miche\u00e1l MacLiamm\u00f3ir&#8217;s performance as Iago (he went on to write a memoir about the making of the film entitled <em>Put Money in Thy Purse<\/em>) is simply chilling: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"865\" height=\"671\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago3.png 865w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago3-300x233.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago3-128x99.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago3-768x596.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago3-348x270.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As anyone familiar with the play knows, Iago&#8217;s ability to turn Othello into a homicidal husband using merely lies and false evidence is a testament to the nefarious power of mental persuasion. Welles himself does a fine job in the lead role, effectively portraying a man who doesn&#8217;t want to believe what he&#8217;s hearing, yet, tragically, does: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"865\" height=\"663\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles5.png 865w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles5-300x230.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles5-128x98.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles5-768x589.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles5-352x270.png 352w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While I&#8217;ve never found <em>Othello<\/em> to be an &#8220;easy&#8221; watch, either as a play or a film, this version &#8212; right alongside <em>Filming Othello<\/em> (1979) &#8212; merits a look for the sheer audacity of Welles&#8217;s creativity under extreme financial pressure. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Miche\u00e1l MacLiamm\u00f3ir as Iago<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"865\" height=\"655\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago2.png 865w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago2-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago2-128x97.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago2-768x582.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Iago2-357x270.png 357w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Orson Welles as Othello<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"865\" height=\"665\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles3.png 865w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles3-300x231.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles3-128x98.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles3-768x590.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Welles3-351x270.png 351w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The powerful opening sequence<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Opening.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Opening.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"865\" height=\"671\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Opening.png 865w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Opening-300x233.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Opening-128x99.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Opening-768x596.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Opening-348x270.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography and direction<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Faces.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Faces.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"867\" height=\"662\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Faces.png 867w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Faces-300x229.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Faces-128x98.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Faces-768x586.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Othello-Faces-354x270.png 354w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, for its historical significance. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0045251\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/09\/29\/movies\/othello-orson-welles.html\">NY Times Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I am not what I am.&#8221; Synopsis: When a Moorish military commander named Othello (Orson Welles) marries the daughter (Suzanne Cloutier) of a Venetian senator (Hilton Edwards), his evil ensign Iago (Miche\u00e1l MacLiamm\u00f3ir) begins to plant seeds of jealousy by falsely insisting that Desdemona (Cloutier) is having an affair with Othello&#8217;s captain Cassio (Michael Laurence). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Cross-Cultural Romance Homicidal Spouses Jealousy Orson Welles Films Play Adaptation Race Relations and Racism Shakespeare Review: Orson Welles&#8217;s production of&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82573\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82573"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82608,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82573\/revisions\/82608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}