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A visionary adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy, one of Orson Welles’s greatest films, presented in two versions. Gloriously cinematic despite its tiny budget, Othello, directed by Orson Welles (Citizen Kane), is a testament to the filmmaker’s stubborn willingness to pursue his vision to the ends of the earth. Unmatched in his passionate identification with Shakespeare’s imagination, Welles brings his inventive visual approach to this enduring tragedy of jealousy, bigotry, and rage, and also gives a towering performance as the Moor of Venice, alongside Suzanne Cloutier (Juliette, or Key of Dreams) as the innocent Desdemona, and Micháel Macliammóir (Tom Jones) as the scheming Iago. Shot over the course of three years in Italy and Morocco and plagued by many logistical problems, this fiercely independent film joins Macbeth and Chimes at Midnight in making the case for Welles as the cinema’s most audacious interpreter of the Bard.
Honoured with best film award at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival, Orson Welles' adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy is another testimony to his filmmaking genius.
The production began in 1948 but would not be finished for another four years due to financial difficulties. Without full financing in place Welles would shoot until the money ran out, shut down production while he tried to raise more in acting roles, then reassemble the cast and crew months later. But typically the challenges presented by budgetary constraints only heightened Welles' technical flair and imagination behind the camera, resulting in some of the most dramatic and atmospheric scenes he ever shot. In front his portrayal of the doomed Moor was another powerful and charismatic performance.
For many years the film was only available in poor prints until 1922 when an original negative was found and a $1 million restoration began. Recently, new technology has allowed further restoration and, available for the first time, this new version looks and sounds better than ever.
