I am happy to report that O does not do violence to, nor dumb down, its important themes.
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10/21/02
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O (2001)
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Reviews Counted:123
Fresh:78
Rotten:45
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Though well-intentioned and serious in its exploration of teen violence, O is an uneven experiment that doesn't quite succeed.
Theatrical Release:Aug 31, 2001 Wide
Box Office: $15,540,020
Synopsis: A contemporary retelling of Othello, Shakespeare's timeless tale of treachery and jealousy, O will perhaps introduce a new audience to the genius of William Shakespeare and some of his most... [More]
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Mekhi Phifer, Julia Stiles, John Heard
Director: Tim Blake Nelson
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Reviews for O
Othello may be the saddest of all Shakespeare's tragedies, and O captures its power in the storm-tossed emotions of modern teens.
10/15/02
Perhaps overaware of its solemn literary inheritance, it tiptoes around sex and race, and, in turning Shakespeare's grown-ups into Dawson's Creek teens, jettisons much of the original's grandeur.
10/02/02
An unnecessary addition to the cannon of cinematic Shakespeare.
09/17/02
And then there's Josh Hartnett, what can I say... Who knew he had such a performance in him?
09/10/02
O might be flawed, but it's a brave, studious attempt.
09/02/02
O, that this too, too solid film would mesh, thaw and resolve itself with the Bard.
08/10/02
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06/21/02
Watching these events carried out by teenagers is not tragic but sad, a needless waste of young lives with no new insights to justify their deaths.
06/20/02
The camera is subtle but insistent in how it views characters with darkness, pity and suspicion.
06/12/02
The movie is violent and alarming, but in no way does it endorse or glamorize killing as a solution to problems. When the inevitable murders begin in the third act, no one is going to be cheering for more.
06/10/02
Credit is to be given to Shakespeare for creating a plot so heavy that it gives weight even to a labored teen drama.
06/03/02
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03/24/02
Takes a tragic phenomenon and puts it both in a universal and intelligent context.
02/26/02
Its beauty is in the seamless transformation of a hundreds-of-years-old story to a 21st century setting, aided by capable performances.
02/19/02
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11/12/01
It understands its source material, and it helps us to understand it as well.
10/24/01
Hartnett is electric in his portrayal of this truly evil, twisted character.
10/02/01
In the end, the Shakespearean ideas collapse on film because of the youthful callowness of the characters.
09/28/01
Top CriticIt is a powerful film, and a real one, making the case that even without the Olde English, Shakespeare's plots don't go stale.
09/24/01
Latest News for O
July 21, 2008:
Brush Up On Your Shakespeare With Our List Of The Bard's Best Films
Friends, readers, Tomato-fans, lend me your ears. Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty, we at RT humbly present to you the Greatest Shakespeare Movies, a list of the Bard's... More...
June 28, 2006:
Bosworth and Bloom to Brave the Depression Together
Orlando Bloom and Kate Bosworth are two seriously photogenic young stars who've never worked together. That's about to change. The pair will co-star in a Depression-era drama... More...
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