Movie review – “Othello” (1952) ***1/2

I’ve never been a big fan of the play. I recognise the genius of the words, the character character in Iago, but Othello is such a wanker, I never buy him killing her. Actually that’s not true I do but he is so stupid, and Desdemona a good chick (marries a black man despite dad’s opposition), it just makes you feel depressed.

So I guess I'm prejudiced against this adaptation from the get-go. Still, it's an impressive film - even more so if you know the story behind it's making. It's visually striking being set in this big empty seeming castle by the see – massive rooms, banners of wood, crashing waves, running around along the tops of walls.

The open sequences of the funeral for Othello and Desdemona are stunning. The story proper gets off to an awkward start – the introduction of Iago is a bit clunky and confusing, not helped by the dubbing. Needs more close ups or something – this is an important sequence. But once Othello comes back from beating the Turks it gets better.

Orson Welles is a pretty decent Othello – I would have loved to see his Iago. (That’s not to say Michael McLiammor isn’t very good.) Gore Vidal once wrote wittily that the character of Desdemona in this film was reduced to being a “blonde wig” – Suzanne Clouthier is better than that, but she’s still not terribly inspired.