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Movies / On DVD / Othello
Othello

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Othello (1995)

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68 %
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Reviews Counted: 40

Fresh: 27

Rotten:13

Average Rating: 6.1/10

Consensus: Perhaps less than the sum of its parts, Othello is still highly entertaining, and features excellent performances from Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh.

Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: An intense adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy about the Moorish general who "loved not wisely, but too well" -- and so is duped by his evil aide into thinking that his wife has been... An intense adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy about the Moorish general who "loved not wisely, but too well" -- and so is duped by his evil aide into thinking that his wife has been unfaithful. As war between Venetians and the Turks rages in the 16th century, Othello weds the beautiful Desdemona and promotes Cassio over his longtime assistant, Iago. Othello prepares to celebrate his marriage, but Iago -- furious over Othello's snub -- has dastardly plans in store for his employer. Iago begins to poison Othello's mind against Desdemona, claiming that she's having an affair with Cassio; he even manages to produce "proof" of the infidelity. It doesn't take long for the jealous general to start believing Iago's allegations, and he winds up on the path of destruction. [More]

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Kenneth Branagh, Irčne Jacob, Nathaniel Parker

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Kenneth Branagh, Irčne Jacob, Nathaniel Parker, Michael Maloney

Director: Oliver Parker

Director: Oliver Parker

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jan 18, 2000

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Othello

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
10/18/08
Houston Chronicle
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
10/18/08
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Laurence Fishburne is an actor of no little talent, but he lacks Othello's martial bearing and heroic stature.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/03/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Branagh, as Iago, is so obviously the best thing in this largely uninteresting interpretation that you feel sorry for him when he inevitably bites the big one.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
07/03/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A decent but not great version that makes Shakespeare's reliable play accessible, but the acting is uneven: Branagh is witty as Iago, Fishburne looks but doesn't sound right, and Jacob is pale as Desdemona.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
03/16/08
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/16/08
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
12/08/07
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

A highly engaging attempt at Shakespeare's most domestic tragedy.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Anna Smith
Time Out

Olivier's 1965 Othello is still the most interesting version

comment Comment
07/16/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

An entertaining, respectful adaptation that plays like an erotic thriller with Elizabethan language.

Full Review Source: Mr. Brown's Movies | comment Comment
12/05/04
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies

Fishburne gives an amazingly chilling turn; when his Othello receives the Bad News about his lady love, Fishburne positively radiates homicide.

comment Comment
02/06/04
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com

Fine Shakespeare adaptation

comment Comment
11/25/03
Fred Topel
About.com

Fine Shakespeare adaptation

comment Comment
11/25/03
Fred Topel
About.com

No review available.

comment Comment
11/07/03
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
10/09/03
Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

Mr. Branagh's superb performance...guarantees this film an immediacy that any audience will understand.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Every character is balanced by another similar or contrasting one, yet Parker does little to help the viewer make these associations.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly

Recommended only to those who haven't yet seen enough Shakespeare on film.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/30/03
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
12/18/02
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide
 
 
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