I applaud Oliver Parker's (first film?) adaptation of "Othello" for being clear and imaginative with the story and text; not an easy task. His film brought out colors I had never noticed or considered. Great handling of Roderigo. (I wonder if some of this was due to the smart Kenneth Branagh.) For me the film suffers by not having a classically tragic scope. It looks nice, but it is missing the momentum of a tragedy ordained by the gods, moving inexorably to its conclusion, which is so apparent in Welles' over-wrought production. Fishburne is a good actor, and I found his Othello very moving, though missing a touch of the stuff myths are made of. Branagh is certainly Olivier's heir: dazzlingly brilliant, but missing the surprise of emotional spontaneity. Though I admire Irene Jacob, I would have preferred an actress with a stronger command of English. I think this "Othello is a very worthy film, however. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
