IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
General Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.General Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.General Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 1 win & 10 nominations total
Kenneth MacKintosh
- Lodovico
- (as Kenneth Mackintosh)
Nick Edmett
- Messenger
- (as Nicholas Edmett)
- …
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the only Shakespearean movie in which all four leading actors and actresses (Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame Maggie Smith, Frank Finlay, and Joyce Redman) were nominated for Oscars.
- GoofsDesdemona's chest is still going up and down (like she's breathing) after she dies.
- Alternate versionsThe film's U.S. DVD release restores the Warner Bros. logo backed by a red curtain and fanfare music to the opening credits, and the "Intermission" title card about ninety minutes into the film. These have not been seen since the film's original U.S. release; they were not featured on the videocassette edition. The long-deleted "intermission break" occurs immediately after Othello says to Iago, "Now art thou my lieutenant" and Iago answers "I am your own forever".
Featured review
Still the best OTHELLO on film after 40 Years despite first rate competition
Viewing this superb filmed stage production (as well and faithfully filmed as any stage production could be) many may question why a Shakespearian actor of Olivier's standing resisted playing The Moor of Venice as hard as he did. The reason is absolutely plain in his performance - Paul Robeson's world shattering Broadway performance on Broadway for the Theatre Guild in 1943 (tragically, never filmed, but recorded complete by Columbia Records).
It was Robeson (the first major black actor to play the part in a major commercial production - 280 performances at the Shubert Theatre, where A CHORUS LINE would eventually set musical records) who changed how we look at Othello - previously usually played as the MOOR Shakespeare wrote (frequently played in blackface, but the key element was the Islamic roots in North Africa - see Orson Welles' 1952 film, documenting for virtually the only time on sound film the earlier tradition - Welles would not have made a credible black man), and critics in 1943 drew the distinction between a Moor and a "Black-a-Moor". After Robeson, it became nearly impossible to think of anyone but a black actor in the role. Either way, the tale of the perpetual outsider, cautioning against jealousy and spousal abuse AGES before they became popular "causes" rings remarkably true.
Finally persuaded to add the Moor of Venice to his Shakespearian repertoire, and ultimately (he toured it all over Europe first) to his long list of distinguished Shakespearian films - after his brilliant HENRY V, it is probably his best - Olivier did everything in his power to honor, even copy, the Robeson performance.
YES, Frank Findlay runs away with the piece as Iago, and Maggie Smith's accent occasionally jars, but younger audiences will be astonished at the young "Professor McGonagall". This and THE HONEY POT may be her best films. It is remarkable Smith didn't have whiplash after playing over a hundred performances of the extremely physical bedroom scene. All told this all star cast still surpasses the excellent, frequently AS well acted but shorter, more "movie-movie" versions from Laurence Fishburne et al..
Olivier is so good in this role which has been one of Fishburne's best, I'd love to see what Fishburne could do with HENRY V; I bet it would be great.
It was Robeson (the first major black actor to play the part in a major commercial production - 280 performances at the Shubert Theatre, where A CHORUS LINE would eventually set musical records) who changed how we look at Othello - previously usually played as the MOOR Shakespeare wrote (frequently played in blackface, but the key element was the Islamic roots in North Africa - see Orson Welles' 1952 film, documenting for virtually the only time on sound film the earlier tradition - Welles would not have made a credible black man), and critics in 1943 drew the distinction between a Moor and a "Black-a-Moor". After Robeson, it became nearly impossible to think of anyone but a black actor in the role. Either way, the tale of the perpetual outsider, cautioning against jealousy and spousal abuse AGES before they became popular "causes" rings remarkably true.
Finally persuaded to add the Moor of Venice to his Shakespearian repertoire, and ultimately (he toured it all over Europe first) to his long list of distinguished Shakespearian films - after his brilliant HENRY V, it is probably his best - Olivier did everything in his power to honor, even copy, the Robeson performance.
YES, Frank Findlay runs away with the piece as Iago, and Maggie Smith's accent occasionally jars, but younger audiences will be astonished at the young "Professor McGonagall". This and THE HONEY POT may be her best films. It is remarkable Smith didn't have whiplash after playing over a hundred performances of the extremely physical bedroom scene. All told this all star cast still surpasses the excellent, frequently AS well acted but shorter, more "movie-movie" versions from Laurence Fishburne et al..
Olivier is so good in this role which has been one of Fishburne's best, I'd love to see what Fishburne could do with HENRY V; I bet it would be great.
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- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
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- Also known as
- Otelo
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime2 hours 45 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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