Watch Othello

The film Othello is a remake of the classic novel by William Shakespeare. Directed by Oliver Parker, it is the first theatrical production of the play that features an African American man in the lead role. The film is set in Italy and follows the lives and interactions of several characters in a display of racism, jealousy, and betrayal. The story is centered on a cast of characters that are intertwined with jealousy towards one another and hatred for one another. It seems that each character in a way is jealous of another. Roderigo is Jealous of Othello based on the fact that he married Desdemona. Cassio is hated by Iago who is jealous that he was promoted rather than him, and Bianca is jealous of Cassio and the women that she perceives he is seeing. The film absolutely vibrates with this theme, and accurately portrays the characters personalities as depicted by William Shakespeare. The film has many underlining themes that bulk up the story. The film portrays a cast of very dysfunctional people who are caught up in the most destructive and debilitating emotions that we experience as human beings. Honesty, distrust, and hatred are rampant in the film, and such emotion causes the characters to be wary about each other. An interesting portrayal is that of Iago, who refers to himself as "honest Iago." However, this could not be further from the truth. He constantly lies to others and manipulates others in an attempt to further his own selfish desires. The film is a very accurate reproduction of the play that was written so long ago. They both depict the lives of characters that have fallen victim to the very emotions that plague even the best of human beings. It is a movie that shows emotion, hate, and jealousy in its rawest form and leaves the viewer questioning his own character defects.