Movie No. 71 (2014): OTHELLO

The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1952)
Director: Orson Welles
Cast: Orson Welles

I was not familiar with this Shakespearean tragedy. The only things that I could associate with it were the characters called Desdemona, Iago, and, of course, Othello. Then I had to read write-ups about Orson Welles' movie adaptation of the play and learned about how it was made indie-style (i.e., with a tight budget). So I didn't expect much from the movie despite its director (Welles) being considered of the greatest directors of all time.

So, after seeing the movie, I could say it didn't look like an indie film. I guess its the directors mastery of the art that had made him obscure the lack of resources by using techniques that would later distinguish Welles from other directors. The black-and-white photography, emphasizing on more dark shades, could only enhance the tale's theme, which was mainly betrayal and the macabre. Welles cast himself as Othello. He did very well.

Rating: 4.0/4.0

Date seen: September 19, 2014

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