Celebrated a filmmaker as he was, it's easy to overlook the accomplishments of Orson Welles (in this and other mediums) if one only knows him by his most famous work, 'Citizen Kane,' or perhaps also his infamous 'War of the worlds' radio broadcast. To spend time with the man's other pictures, however, it very quickly becomes obvious that he was a true master with relatively few equals. Unless an outside hand has fiddled with the end product it's hard to go wrong with anything Welles made, and from the moment it begins his version of 'Othello' (the 1952 European cut, if you please) is striking and impressive. Classic and revered as this play of William Shakespeare is, and should be, I don't even necessarily think it's Welles' treatment of the material in his screenplay that's especially noteworthy; rather, in every other capacity this is so extraordinarily well made, and sometimes even remarkable, that our attention might stray from the storytelling itself.
To wit: from the very start Welles illustrates an exquisitely keen eye for shot composition that's wonderfully artistic and outright stunning, to the point that especially with the black and white presentation Ingmar Bergman comes to mind. The costume design, hair, and makeup are truly lovely and rich with detail across the board, at times each more so than the next (save for the prominent use of brownface that hasn't exactly aged well). The filming locations and art direction are beautiful, and in and of themselves portend a certain imperiousness and gravitas; visualized through Welles' vision and the smart contributions of the cinematographers, the production absolutely takes on airs of an art film at many points such that the dialogue could have been deemphasized or even stripped away and the title would be just as magnificent. The latter sense is only bolstered by the exceptional original music of Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, a panoply of dazzling, tantalizing themes that lend tremendous flavor and atmosphere and which quite threaten to upstage every other element. Even the editing seems notable in and of itself - perhaps a tad forceful in its cuts every now and again, but nevertheless always sharp and clean.
The Bard's words in this seventeenth century play are less widely famous than many of his verses elsewhere, but that certainly doesn't make them any less vibrant and honeyed. A complete, compelling story is told of jealousy, ambition, conspiracy, manipulation, and murder, as worthy now as it was four hundred years ago. Rendered here with particularly pronounced scene writing, the sordid tale is further bolstered with the intense, tremendous acting of the cast, bringing the dark and powerful emotions to bear with startling vitality. The result of all this splendor is that ninety minutes pass swiftly (if at some points more so than others), and it's easy to get swept up in the plot as it unfolds. I wouldn't go so far as to say it wholly demands viewership, yet Welles 'Othello' is so magnificent in every regard that it keeps us firmly locked in from the very beginning through to the very end. I do think the pacing is a tad too accelerated, to the point that in combination with some choices of editing and cinematography the storytelling becomes a little disjointed - though while this is unfortunate, it's not nearly so significant an issue as to substantially detract from the viewing experience. One way or another the movie holds up stupendously well all told, and is just as momentous now as it surely was upon release. One is sorely missing out if one declines the opportunity to watch, and whether one is specifically a fan of someone involved or of Shakespeare, I'm pleased to give 'Othello' my very high and hearty recommendation.
To wit: from the very start Welles illustrates an exquisitely keen eye for shot composition that's wonderfully artistic and outright stunning, to the point that especially with the black and white presentation Ingmar Bergman comes to mind. The costume design, hair, and makeup are truly lovely and rich with detail across the board, at times each more so than the next (save for the prominent use of brownface that hasn't exactly aged well). The filming locations and art direction are beautiful, and in and of themselves portend a certain imperiousness and gravitas; visualized through Welles' vision and the smart contributions of the cinematographers, the production absolutely takes on airs of an art film at many points such that the dialogue could have been deemphasized or even stripped away and the title would be just as magnificent. The latter sense is only bolstered by the exceptional original music of Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, a panoply of dazzling, tantalizing themes that lend tremendous flavor and atmosphere and which quite threaten to upstage every other element. Even the editing seems notable in and of itself - perhaps a tad forceful in its cuts every now and again, but nevertheless always sharp and clean.
The Bard's words in this seventeenth century play are less widely famous than many of his verses elsewhere, but that certainly doesn't make them any less vibrant and honeyed. A complete, compelling story is told of jealousy, ambition, conspiracy, manipulation, and murder, as worthy now as it was four hundred years ago. Rendered here with particularly pronounced scene writing, the sordid tale is further bolstered with the intense, tremendous acting of the cast, bringing the dark and powerful emotions to bear with startling vitality. The result of all this splendor is that ninety minutes pass swiftly (if at some points more so than others), and it's easy to get swept up in the plot as it unfolds. I wouldn't go so far as to say it wholly demands viewership, yet Welles 'Othello' is so magnificent in every regard that it keeps us firmly locked in from the very beginning through to the very end. I do think the pacing is a tad too accelerated, to the point that in combination with some choices of editing and cinematography the storytelling becomes a little disjointed - though while this is unfortunate, it's not nearly so significant an issue as to substantially detract from the viewing experience. One way or another the movie holds up stupendously well all told, and is just as momentous now as it surely was upon release. One is sorely missing out if one declines the opportunity to watch, and whether one is specifically a fan of someone involved or of Shakespeare, I'm pleased to give 'Othello' my very high and hearty recommendation.