The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1952)

Second viewing; first viewed on November 8, 1992.

From Wikipedia: Based on the play by William Shakespeare, written about 1603, in turn based on the short story Un capitano moro (A Moorish Captain), by Cinthio, first published in 1565 in his collection Gli Hecatommithi. It may have been based on a real incident taking place in Venice about 1508. Still according to Wikipedia, there is an earlier tale from the One Thousand and One Nights, named The Three Apples, which bears similarities to it.

This is one of the most fascinating stories of all times, if I may say so without having actually read the play. The theme of psychological manipulation is of prime importance in our times. There are other themes being explored here which are mostly subordinated to the first one, as they are part of the manipulative schemes devised by Iago. Othello is placed in a position similar to Groucho Marx: he simply could not join a club (i.e. Desdemona) that would accept him as a member. Anway, we should talk about the movie as such. It is pictorially very inspired, and performs a felicitous translation of theater into cinema. I must say, however, that I find that such Shakespeare adaptations can only go so far in shaking its stage origins and, unless they are free adaptations (not the case here), suffer from it.

Rating: 72 (down from 90)