We watched scenes from the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello today in class. I am curious to know what you thought about this staging of the play.
The following are some of the many aspects of this production you can comment upon and analyze:
* individual characters' performances. Is this production aptly cast? Who is particularly convincing? Who isn't?
* What did you think of the way certain lines were said? A lot of lines were also omitted. Analyze the choices made in this play in terms of the text.
* What actions were effective? awkward?
* Comment on the setting.
* Lighting. Light and dark is pretty important in this play, so lighting takes an even more significant role.
* Kenneth Branagh plays Iago. What do you think of his performance? Analyze it.
Your analysis of one specific aspect of this production needs to be a significant paragraph or two in length (GO IN DEPTH. When you think you are done, push yourself to contribute more content). Be specific in your description of the elements of the play you are analyzing.
As always, this post will be graded according to the blog post grading rubric--with one exception: if your post includes even a single grammatical error, it will earn a 0. You will then have to revise the piece, but you will get one point off for every revision you make before the entire post is correct.
And as always, read each others' posts before you write yours. We should be building upon each others' comments, not repeating them. Treat this like a conversation.
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ReplyDeleteIn the 1995 version of Othello I thought that the actors were correctly chosen for some characters, but not for others. The characters that were correctly chosen were Othello and Iago. I imagined Othello as a huge African soldier who was also eloquent in his speech, and Laurence Fishburne was a good choice for that part. The scene where Barbantio and Othello were arguing over his marriage with Desdamona was almost a flawless way for how it seemed in the play. Othello stayed calm throughout and made Barbantio look like a crazed overprotective father. Kenneth Branagh was a great choice for the role of Iago. I saw Iago as sweet guy when he was in front of people, and then when their backs were turned, he would scheme and plots his revenge behind their backs. The last soliloquy of Iago’s was a perfect example of this. Iago acted nice and honest when explaining to Othello the events that transpired in the fight between Montano and Cassio. As well as being nice and sincere to Roderigo and Cassio when giving them advice, and then when he was alone he explained his plan to destroy Othello and Cassio once and for all. One character that was not casted correctly was Cassio. When hearing the description of Michael Cassio I thought of him as this smooth, suave, and clean cut kind of guy, and in the scene we watched I really did not get that. It might have been the fact that Cassio was drunk in that scene, but he did not have that smooth operator who could get any girl feeling like he seemed in the play. He also had a sort of shabby beard and curly greasy hair, which I really could not see the Cassio from the play having.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIn the 1995 version of Othello I thought that the actors were correctly chosen for some characters, but not for others. The characters that were correctly chosen were Othello and Iago. I imagined Othello as a huge African soldier who was also eloquent in his speech, and Laurence Fishburne was a good choice for that part. The scene where Barbantio and Othello were arguing over his marriage with Desdamona was almost a flawless way for how it seemed in the play. Othello stayed calm throughout and made Barbantio look like a crazed overprotective father. Kenneth Branagh was a great choice for the role of Iago. I saw Iago as sweet guy when he was in front of people, and then when their backs were turned, he would scheme and plot his revenge behind their backs. The last soliloquy of Iago’s was a perfect example of this. Iago acted nice and honest when explaining to Othello the events that transpired in the fight between Montano and Cassio. As well as when he was being kind and sincere to Roderigo and Cassio when giving them advice, but then when he was alone, he explained his plan to destroy Othello and Cassio once and for all. One character that was not casted correctly was Cassio. When hearing the description of Michael Cassio I thought of him as this smooth, suave, and clean cut kind of guy, and in the scene we watched I really did not get that. It might have been the fact that Cassio was drunk in that scene, but he did not have that smooth operator personality that could get any girl he wants, like it seems in the play. He also had a sort of shabby beard and curly greasy hair, which I really could not see the Cassio from the play having.
DeleteStill not correct. Read it carefully; you still have a few mistakes.
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ReplyDeleteI was not a fan of Desdemona in the film. Desdemona lacks the emotion that she has in the text. She has does not convey the same feeling that I felt while reading her speech to the Duke. In the movie, she sounds as if she is merely reciting lines. In the book, Desdemona puts her heart on the line and risks her relationship with her father for her new husband. Though she is admitting a difficult truth, the way she says it is unconvincing in the movie. Desdemona is also quite awkward with her actions. The celebration scene where is she is dancing for Othello is awkward because there is no communication taking place. I do not think this scene in the movie fits the idea of the play.The scene in which Cassio and Montano fight comes to an awkward ending when Desdemona enters. She seems to lack the knowledge to understand what just happened. Desdemona does seem to be worried that her husband just lost his right hand man. She merely walks back to bed without realizing the injuries that just happened. Desdemona’s character in the movie is ignorant and lacks the emotion that her character in the text provides.
ReplyDeleteThe silent dancing scene in the film was certainly an interesting director's choice. My sense is that is helps intensify the love, attraction, and connection that Desdemona and Othello feel for each other. We don't see them in love for too long in this play, but in order for the fall to be tragic, we need to know that they genuinely loved each other, and this scene helps develop that idea.
DeleteUnlike the actor who played Desdemona, Kenneth Branagh did an incredible job showing the true colors of Iago. I thought Branagh did a good job interacting with other characters on stage, but his true brilliance came through during some of Iago's soliloquies. Soliloquies are meant to be times in which the audience can see into a character's head, and Branagh's performance made that very easy to do. In particular, I thought the speech that ended Act 1 was spectacular. I remember one phrase vividly: "I hate the Moor." Branagh said this line so convincingly and with such pent up anger, I thought he could have killed Othello right then and there. Kenneth Branagh played Iago spectacularly by allowing the audience to experience Iago's true feelings unchecked and undampered, something you cannot physically see in the text.
ReplyDeleteThe 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, lighting plays an important point in the story. Oliver used lighting to further bring the characters and the setting of Othello to life in the movie. The entire first act was done in the dark. Not only was it dark outside, but Oliver Parker used very little unnatural light. Parker did a good job only using two to three candles and natural lighting to bring the viewer into the buildings. Parker also used the lighting well with the actors. When Iago directly talks to the camera, Parker does a good job to use the shadows around Iago to really bring out his cruelty. The shadows cast across Iago’s face made the audience see the level of Iago’s deception and cruelty. Very little of the movie happens in the natural light of day. When the sun is used, very little to no lines are said. Almost all of the scenes on Cyprus have occurred in the night except for Othello’s arriving scene where Othello was the only one with lines, and very little lines at that. The rest of Cyprus is in the dark. This use of darkness really brings out the darkness and evil in the play.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, lighting plays an important point in the story. Oliver used lighting to further bring the characters and the setting of Othello to life in the movie. The entire first act was done in the dark. Not only was it dark outside, but Oliver Parker used very little unnatural light. Parker did a good job only using two to three candles and natural lighting to bring the viewer into the buildings. Parker also used the lighting well with the actors. When Iago directly talks to the camera, Parker does a good job to use the shadows around Iago to really bring out his cruelty. The shadows cast across Iago’s face made the audience see the level of Iago’s deception and cruelty. Very little of the movie happens in the natural light of day. When the sun is used, very little to no lines are said. Except for the scene where Othello arrives at Cyprus, all of the scenes occur at night. During the day scene, Othello was the only one with lines. The rest of Cyprus is filmed in the dark. This use of darkness really brings out the darkness and evil in the play.
DeleteStill not correct.
DeleteAlso, you should say that "lighting plays an important role in the story." Lighting doesn't play a "point."
In the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, lighting plays an important role in the story. Oliver used lighting to further bring the characters and the setting of Othello to life in the movie. The entire first act was done in the dark. Not only was it dark outside, but also used very little unnatural light. Parker did a good job only using two to three candles and natural lighting to bring the viewer into the buildings. Parker also used the lighting well with the actors. When Iago directly talks to the camera, Parker does a good job to use the shadows around Iago to really bring out his cruelty. The shadows cast across Iago’s face made the audience see the level of Iago’s deception and cruelty. Very little of the movie happens in the natural light of day. When the sun is used, very little to no lines are said. Except for the scene where Othello arrives at Cyprus, all of the scenes occur at night. During the day scene, Othello was the only one with lines. The rest of Cyprus is filmed in the dark. This use of darkness really brings out the darkness and evil in the play.
DeleteI thought Iago's performance in the movie mirrored his character portrayed throughout the book. The movie gave Iago’s character more depth. Iago became much more provoking and greatly swayed the audience. Iago was presented more so as the main character in the movie than in the book. Iago closed each scene in the movie, and helped narrate the story as well. I thought Iago was going to be portrayed as shy and subtle with his sly tricks, but instead his character was more outgoing and greatly wooed his fellow cast in the movie. The only set back in the movie was that it cut out a large part of Iago’s lines in several of his monologue’s. The absence of Iago’s lines lessened the overall message of the play.
ReplyDeleteI thought Iago's performance in the movie mirrored his character portrayed throughout the play. The movie gave Iago’s character more depth. Iago became much more provoking and greatly swayed the audience. Iago was presented more so as the main character in the movie than in the book. Iago closed each scene in the movie and helped narrate the story as well. I thought Iago was going to be portrayed as shy and subtle with his sly tricks, but instead his character was more outgoing and greatly wooed his fellow cast in the movie. The only setback in the movie was that it cut out a large part of Iago’s lines in several of his monologues. The absence of Iago’s lines lessened the overall message of the play.
DeleteIn Act I, at the end of Scene III, Iago is alone and is talking to the audience. This soliloquy is one of the important scenes of the play. This is important because it is the first move that Iago makes against Othello, and he tells the audience what his plan is to destroy Othello. The movie illustrated this well by using the chess board, the black and white pieces and the man on the horse, the knight piece in the middle. This clearly shows how Iago’s plan will bring Othello and Desdemona apart. The lighting in the film was perfect for this situation because they used a dark color, which symbolize evil. The movie also used a flash of lighting at end of Iago speech which is symbolizing that something bad is going to happen. This scene made a big impact because Iago also looks directly into the camera; making is obvious that he is talking to the audience. This was more obvious in the movie than in the book because of the way the camera zoomed in on his face. When reading this soliloquy it seems like Iago is thinking to himself, but in the movie, it is more like he is letting the audience in on his plan.
ReplyDeleteIn Act I, at the end of Scene III, Iago is alone and is talking to the audience. This soliloquy is one of the important scenes of the play. This is important because it is the first move that Iago makes against Othello, and he tells the audience what his plan is to destroy Othello. The movie illustrated this well by using the chess board, the black and white pieces and the man on the horse, the knight piece in the middle. This clearly shows how Iago’s plan will tear Othello and Desdemona apart. The lighting in the film was perfect for this situation because they used a dark color, which symbolize evil. The movie also used a flash of lighting at end of Iago speech which is symbolizing that something bad is going to happen. This scene made a big impact because Iago also looks directly into the camera; making is obvious that he is talking to the audience. This was more obvious in the movie than in the book because of the way the camera zoomed in on his face. When reading this soliloquy it seems like Iago is thinking to himself, but in the movie, it is more like he is letting the audience in on his plan.
DeleteYou are good until halfway through, Ravonte. Take another look.
DeleteIn Act I, at the end of Scene III, Iago is alone and is talking to the audience. This soliloquy is one of the important scenes of the play. This is important because it is the first move that Iago makes against Othello, and he tells the audience what his plan is to destroy Othello. The movie illustrated this well by using the chess board, the black and white pieces and the man on the horse, the knight piece in the middle. This clearly shows how Iago’s plan will tear Othello and Desdemona apart. The lighting in the film was perfect for this situation because it was a dark color, which symbolizes evil. The movie also used a flash of lightning at end of Iago's speech, which is symbolizing that something bad is going to happen. This scene made a big impact because Iago also looks directly into the camera, making it obvious that he is talking to the audience. This was more obvious in the movie than in the play because of the way the camera zoomed in on his face. It seems like Iago is thinking to himself, but in the movie, it is more like he is letting the audience in on his plan.
DeleteIn the 1995 Oliver Production of Othello, I thought the love between Othello and Desdemona wasn't as convincing as it was in the book. While I was reading, I felt that the love between Othello and Desdemona was passionate and true. I felt this way because while reading through the text, I saw how infatuated they were with each other through their use of words towards each other. In the movie, I thought the actress did a poor job of portraying Desdemona and I think that had a lot to do with why the love between she and Othello seemed fake. For example, in the scene that Othello arrives to Cyprus, he and Desdemona share a kiss. Frankly, I just felt uncomfortable because the kiss wasn't meaningful and seemed forced. The portrayal of the love between Desdemona and Othello in the film was unconvincing and disappointing.
ReplyDeleteKenneth Branagh has been in many Shakespearean plays because he is great. He understands the language, tempo, and he can act! I wrote over and over in my notes how well Iago performed. I personally used to act with Walden Theatre, and I have been in multiple Shakespeare plays. At Walden Theatre, we watched one of his films. I cannot remember which one it was, but we talked about his tempo, pitch, annunciation, use of body, and use of expression. This movie was another great example of that. Kenneth Branagh’s delivery of Iago’s soliloquy on page 55 was amazing. He had a great change from when Roderigo was on stage to when Roderigo was off stage. The director’s choice to zoom into Iago’s face was not my favorite. To act when the camera is in your face is incredibly hard and Branagh did a fantastic job. He looked away at the right times and looked directly into the camera at the right times.
ReplyDeleteAnother great scene by Branagh was when he described the fight scene to Othello. The description and the way he delivered the monologue was completely authentic. Again, I did not like the director's choice to zoom in on Cassio’s face. After Othello and everyone left, I think Iago’s speech to Cassio was spot on. I love the way Branagh portrays Iago consoling. It creates a more intense feeling of hate towards Iago - which is what the audience is supposed to feel. Branagh showed the extremes of Iago beautifully. He sounded so sincere when he consoled Roderigo and Cassio, but immediately after they left Iago completely changed into a different person. His face became darker and more solemn; his voice deepened and changed to a more serious tone. I love it! Branagh’s performance so far is close to perfect.
I like this version of Iago’s soliloquy acted by Kenneth Branagh. Desdemona’s virtue will make everyone suffer especially. What Desdemona does hoping for the best will turn out as a pain because Iago tells it differently. My favorite part of this soliloquy, which is not in the book, is at the end when he holds the charcoal while looking straight at the camera. Even though it is hot, it seems like he doesn’t feel any heat. This represents that he is a sociopath that doesn’t feel any empathy. After holding the charcoal, he puts all the black ash all over his hand. This expresses that he is going to have dirty hands and he is actually taking action. Also, I think that Iago’s white hand symbolizes innocent Desdemona, who is an easy target for Iago. He is making his hands black which means to make her dirty, ruin her reputation completely, and kill Desdemona emotionally. I like how Kenneth Branagh acts this metaphor with this soliloquy.
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ReplyDeleteThe film interpretation of Othello was significantly different from the play in many aspects. I thought the portrayal of the characters in the Oliver Parker production of Othello was particularly interesting because most of them did not resemble the people I had pictured from reading the text. Othello’s speeches in the movie were delivered like an old, wise man would do it: calmly and efficiently. In the play, however, he gives off a very different enthusiastic and energetic vibe. For example, when he meets Desdemona upon his arrival at Cyprus, he seems to smother her with his love in the play, but in the movie he is more gentle and at ease. Roderigo and Iago were also quite different from their counterparts in the Oliver Parker production. I felt Roderigo’s emotions were drastically exaggerated in the movie when lamenting his misfortune regarding Desdemona, and Iago’s character was incredibly relaxed for all his plotting. While reading the book version of the play, I did not ever get a sense that Iago was relaxed; rather, I thought he was overprotective of his secret.
The most glaring difference between the book and movie, however, is that the story centers primarily around Othello in the book, whereas, in the movie, the story appears to focus more on Iago. It is clear that Othello was meant to be the protagonist of the play, hence its name. However, in the movie, Iago’s character development is much more advanced than in the book. A good example of this are Iago’s soliloquies, which are very emotional in the movie and provide a dramatic look at his two faced personality. Othello’s character also is less prevalent in the movie. During the parts we watched in class, he makes few appearances and only has one speech that is of significance.
I thought that the movie and the play’s characters were comparable although some characters lacked the proper tone that they should have received in the movie. For example, Othello’s personality in the movie was a mirror image of his personality in the play. He was relaxed and very forward in his tone just as he was portrayed in the play. He delivered his role exactly as how I had pictured him being in my mind, which made him a convincing character. On the other hand, I wasn’t so thrilled with the role of Desdemona in the movie. It was an unsatisfactory performance because I could feel that she was never very happy when she needed to be or sad when she needed to be. For example, Desdemona showed very little signs of happiness when she and Othello were reunited at Cyprus. She didn’t send off the vibe of her being madly in love with Othello. Also, she was not very convincing when delivering her speech to her father when she had to tell him that she chose Othello over him. She seemed very nonchalant and acted like what she was saying was no big deal. Overall, some characters in the movie executed a much better job performing their roles in the movie while some didn’t rise up to that standard as they should have.
ReplyDeleteYou overlooked one little error that I pointed out to you in the computer lab...:-)
DeleteAlthough Othello and Desdemona are together in the play, it did not seem so for the movie. I believed that Desdemona did not seem as in love with Othello as she should have been. For example, Othello’s personality in the movie was a mirror image of his personality in the play. He was relaxed and very forward in his tone just as he was portrayed in the play. He delivered his role exactly as how I had pictured him being in my mind, which made him a convincing character. On the other hand, I wasn’t so thrilled with the role of Desdemona in the movie. It was an unsatisfactory performance because I could feel that she was never very happy when she needed to be or sad when she needed to be. For example, Desdemona showed very little signs of happiness when she and Othello were reunited at Cyprus. She didn’t send off the vibe of her being madly in love with Othello. Also, she was not very convincing when delivering her speech to her father when she had to tell him that she chose Othello over him. She seemed very nonchalant and acted like what she was saying was no big deal. Overall, some characters in the movie executed a much better job performing their roles in the movie while some didn’t rise up to that standard as they should have.
DeleteWhile watching the 1995's rendition of Othello, one thing that stood out to me was the choice of music for the score during Iago's monologues. I noticed whenever Iago has his brief monologue towards the end of each scene, there would be a soft, dramatic, almost morbid score playing in the background as he spoke. The score would have a dark and sinister feeling to it, like a musical reflection of Iago's true character. “I hate the Moor” (1.3.129). In the movie right before Iago says this line, there is a 2-3 second pause and the score commences. The score also acted like a form of transition of mood from lightly joking on Roderigo to Iago's main objective throughout the play: to destroy Othello. The second time a similar dramatic score was playing was towards the end of Act 2 in the movie before Roderigo comes in (our class stopped at this part). When Iago said the line “Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light” (1.3.445-446) and “ Divinity of hel1” (2.3.370), I noticed that both times the score would climax at the mention of the word “hell.” This in my opinion alludes and builds upon Iago's true colors in the play and the movie. Just like how the sinister, hellish score of the movie was risen during those lines, he states or alludes that he is willing to “raise hell” in order to get what he wants.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the 1995's rendition of Othello, one thing that stood out to me was the choice of music for the score during Iago's monologues. I noticed that whenever Iago had a brief soliloquy towards the end of each scene, there would be a soft, dramatic, almost morbid score playing in the background. The score would have a dark and sinister feeling to it, like a musical reflection of Iago's true character. Before Iago says the line, “I hate the Moor” (1.3.129), there is a 2-3 second pause and the score commences. The score also acted like a transition of mood,from lightly joking on Roderigo to Iago's main objective throughout the play: to destroy Othello. The second time, a similar dramatic score was playing was towards the end of Act 2 before Roderigo came in (our class stopped at this part). When Iago said the lines, “Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light” (1.3.445-446) and “Divinity of hell” (2.3.370), I noticed that both times the score would heighten at the mention of the word “hell.” This alludes and builds upon Iago's true colors in the play and the movie. Just like how the sinister, hellish score of the movie was risen during those lines, he states or alludes that he is willing to “raise hell” in order to get what he wants.
DeleteKenneth Branagh was fantastic. He portrayed Iago better than I would have ever imagined; no wonder he is one of the most highly-regarded Shakespearean actors! I could tell that he had thoroughly read this play and had attempted various approaches in which Iago could be portrayed. His tone throughout each scene was well balanced, his actions and gestures were flawless, and his ability to just plain act blew me away. Even after only watching 15 minutes of the movie, it wasn't hard for me to decide that he is, by far, the best actor in the whole movie.
ReplyDeleteHis soliloquy following Cassio’s departure was my favorite scene. After Iago advised Cassio to ask Desdemona for help, Cassio agreed, and replied, “Good night, honest Iago” (2.3.355). This line is very important for the following scene. By using the word ‘honest’, it validates Iago’s plan. It gives Iago assurance that carries through in his soliloquy that follows. After Cassio leaves, Iago is left by himself to reflect on his past actions in his soliloquy. Branagh’s tone at first seemed grim. But as he got deeper into his monologue, his tone changed into one of self admiration. He appeared to be marveling at the ingenious plan that he had devised. I thought this approach of Iago was perfect. He plays the good guy until he is alone on stage. This persona of ‘the good guy’ is crucial to his plan, thus making it a focal point of Branagh’s interpretation of Iago. If he didn’t act Iago’s disguise properly, the plot wouldn’t come together. After he finished comforting Cassio, his personality shifted to an overconfidence that had built up since the beginning of the play. This is another vital element to Iago’s behavior. Iago doesn’t care about the people that he will hurt in the future. In fact, he believes himself to be very clever. This is why his arrogance comes up during his time alone on stage and why it is important to capture this part of his personality. Up until that point, I had a hard time pin-pointing what Iago’s exact voice should be, but after this speech, I wouldn’t interpret it any other way. Well done, Kenneth Branagh.
In the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, light is an important symbol. Throughout the scene where the Duke, Brabantio, and Othello discuss who Desdemona belongs to, the lights are dimmed. The only light in the room is green, the color of envy. Fortunately for Oliver Parker, there is plenty to go around. Brabantio is envious of Othello because his daughter, Desdemona, loves Othello more than her father and chooses Othello over him. Desdemona is envious of Othello's adventures and the stories that he tells. Iago is envious both of Cassio for getting the lieutenant position and of Othello for being so much happier than he is. Roderigo is also envious of Othello because Othello has the love of Roderigo's ex-girlfriend, Desdemona, who Roderigo is still in love with. Cassio and Montano, perhaps the only characters besides Othello who do not appear to envy any other characters, do not appear in this scene, and by the time they do come on stage, the green light is gone.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, light is an important symbol. Throughout the scene where the Duke, Brabantio, and Othello discuss who Desdemona belongs to, the lights are dimmed. The only light in the room is green: the color of envy. Fortunately for Oliver Parker, there is plenty of envy to go around. Brabantio is envious of Othello because Desdemona has choosen Othello over him. Desdemona is envious of Othello's adventures and the stories that he tells. Iago is envious both of Cassio for getting the lieutenant position and of Othello for being so much happier than Iago is. Roderigo is also envious of Othello because Othello has the love of Desdemona, who Roderigo is still in love with. Cassio and Montano do not envy anyone yet, and because of this, they are not in this green lit scene.By the time they do come on stage, the green light is gone.
DeleteTwo more mistakes, Diana.
DeleteIn the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, light is an important symbol. Throughout the scene where the Duke, Brabantio, and Othello discuss whom Desdemona belongs to, the lights are dimmed. The only light in the room is green, the color of envy. Fortunately for Oliver Parker, there is plenty of envy to go around. Brabantio is envious of Othello because Desdemona has chosen Othello over him. Desdemona is envious of Othello's adventures and the stories that he tells. Iago is envious both of Cassio for getting the lieutenant position and of Othello for being so much happier than Iago is. Roderigo is also envious of Othello because Othello has the love of Desdemona, who Roderigo is still in love with. Cassio and Montano do not envy anyone yet, and because of this, they are not included in this green lit scene. By the time they do come on stage, the green light is gone.
DeleteRoderigo is also envious of Othello because Othello has the love of Desdemona, who Roderigo is still in love with.
Deleteneeds to be
Roderigo is also envious of Othello because Othello has the love of Desdemona, whom Roderigo is still in love with.
In the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, light is an important symbol. Throughout the scene where the Duke, Brabantio, and Othello discuss whom Desdemona belongs to, the lights are dimmed. The only light in the room is green, the color of envy. Fortunately for Oliver Parker, there is plenty of envy to go around. Brabantio is envious of Othello because Desdemona has chosen Othello over him. Desdemona is envious of Othello's adventures and the stories that he tells. Iago is envious both of Cassio for getting the lieutenant position and of Othello for being so much happier than Iago is. Roderigo is also envious of Othello because Othello has the love of Desdemona, whom Roderigo is still in love with. Cassio and Montano do not envy anyone yet, and because of this, they are not included in this green lit scene. By the time they do come on stage, the green light is gone.
DeleteIn the 1995 version of the movie Othello, I noticed many flaws. The major flaw was the bad choice of actors for the roles of Othello. Some of the actors belonged more in the drama/play scene, while some of the actors were more akin acting in movies. Combining these two sorts of actors was a bad idea. It caused confusion as to whether the movie was supposed to be more realistic and serious, or dramatic and cheesy. Desdemona was one of the actors that used a lot of body language. She also used more flamboyant speech. She did not match well with the actors for Othello and Iago. These characters seemed more experienced in deciphering Shakespearean lines into more natural, realistic speaking.
ReplyDeleteIago was particularly good at acting out Shakespeare's lines. I enjoyed how he had real emotion while speaking, and it did not seem like Iago was struggling with speaking the lines. He was so good that they left his speeches in the movie. This is how I always interpreted Shakespeare's plays. I never imagined a person stressing every syllable. Instead, I always thought about the characters speaking Shakespeare's lines like it was their natural tongue.
In my opinion, Roderigo's performance was just really unsettling. I found it so unbelievably awkward because he shifted emotions so quickly. All of the sudden, he went from bawling like a baby to giggling like he was on laughing gas. In the beginning when we first met Roderigo, I thought it was kind of weird that he just exploded into tears over Desdemona, but it didn't seem too off to me. But when he was crying again, all Iago had to do was practically say, "No worries dude, Cassio got fired." Then he burst into a laughing fit! This really irked me because it made Roderigo look painfully stupid. In the book, Roderigo is not very intelligent, but I never imagined him so idiotic.
ReplyDeleteThis is one part that I think the Oliver Parker 1995 production messed up. When reading the book, I imagined Roderigo as a little goofball that was good for a laugh. But when Roderigo came on the screen, his portrayal was a little frightening. It made him seem insane and in need of mental help! The swift change of emotion was too quick and uncomfortable. I think the actor might have overdramatized in an attempt to make Roderigo look stupid, helpless, and controllable, but overall it just was bad. Roderigo was foolish enough to sell all his land and come to Cyrus to follow Desdemona, and I don't think any extra dramatization was needed to portray that.
While watching the 1195 production of Othello I noticed I really liked the actors who were chosen to play each character, especially Iago. His interpretations of the script were not how I imagined them, but I enjoyed his versions. When he was talking to Roderigo he sounded almost comical. I found his charm deceiving, which makes sense because Iago is a villain. The way he read his lines made him appear more intelligent than I imagined he would sound. Also the way he said his lines made it easier for me to understand the play. His delivery of the script made what he was saying clear, I understood when something good or bad was happening because of his tone and gestures. I did have a problem with Desdemona. I didn’t like her accent because it sounded very unrealistic. Also her and Othello didn’t seem as in love as I imagined they would be. I blame the actress who played Desdemona for this lack of connection because she didn’t seem as committed as the actor who played Othello.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the 1995 production of Othello, I noticed I really liked the actors who were chosen to play each character, especially Iago. His interpretations of the script were not how I imagined them, but I enjoyed his versions. When he was talking to Roderigo he sounded almost comical. I found his charm deceiving, which makes sense because Iago is a villain. The way he read his lines made him appear more intelligent than I imagined he would sound. Also the way he said his lines made it easier for me to understand the play. His delivery of the script made what he was saying clear, I understood when something good or bad was happening because of his tone and gestures. I did have a problem with Desdemona. I didn’t like her accent because it sounded very unrealistic. Also her and Othello didn’t seem as in love as I imagined they would be. I blame the actress who played Desdemona for this lack of connection because she didn’t seem as committed as the actor who played Othello.
DeleteThree more errors, Madison.
DeleteWhile watching the 1995 production of Othello, I noticed I really liked the actors who were chosen to play each character, especially Iago. His interpretations of the script were not how I imagined them, but I enjoyed his versions. When he was talking to Roderigo, he sounded almost comical. I found his charm deceiving, which makes sense because Iago is a villain. The way he read his lines made him appear more intelligent than I imagined he would sound. Also the way he said his lines made it easier for me to understand the play. His delivery of the script made what he was saying clear; I understood when something good or bad was happening because of his tone and gestures. I did have a problem with Desdemona. I didn’t like her accent because it sounded very unrealistic. Also she and Othello didn’t seem as in love as I imagined they would be. I blame the actress who played Desdemona for this lack of connection because she didn’t seem as committed as the actor who played Othello.
Delete"Seeing the light," is a common phrase that mankind has given the meaning of someone who has seen the truth. In Oliver Parker's 1995 production of Othello, this phrase has the perfect example when Desdemona explains the truth to her father, Barbantino, about her feelings towards Othello during his trial in the Duke of Venice's meeting Hall. In the ensuing revelation, the lighting on him and his movement shows that he is avoiding the light, or avoiding the truth that his daughter has fallen in love with, "what she feared to look on,"(1:3:116). The darkness on his face shows that while he is describing his daughter, the truth is continually avoided. Let it be noted that while Othello was talking, the light on his face never left. This shows that the truth from Othello was never maneuvered away. He looked straight ahead and actually moved into the light to speak to the duke. When Desdemona explained the truth to Barbantino, his face finally looked into a light with a face of sudden realization. This sudden realization was not like Oedipus’s due to the severity of Barbantino’s realization. His look into the light was that of a man praying to God for strength not to do something he would regret later. His acceptance of the light was without hesitation or argument. Without the lighting in this scene, the emphasis on this scene would be severely lacking. Also at the end of the scene with Barbantino’s warning to Othello, the light on his face never left while saying, “look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father and may thee,” (1:3:333-334). Let it be noted again that Othello was in the light when he placed his life on her faith to him. This truth of the light has set up Othello’s life in danger. I do not know if Othello dies in the end; however, I fear for him. The truth of the light never lies.
ReplyDelete"Seeing the light," is a common phrase that humankind has given the meaning of someone who has seen the truth. In Oliver Parker's 1995 production of Othello, this phrase has the perfect example when Desdemona explains the truth to her father, Barbantino, about her feelings towards Othello during his trial in the Duke of Venice's meeting Hall. In the ensuing revelation, the lighting on him and his movement shows that he is avoiding the light, or avoiding the truth that his daughter has fallen in love with, "what she feared to look on,"(1:3:116). The darkness on his face shows that the avoidance of the truth is continued. Othello's speech should be noted because the light never left his face. This shows that the truth from Othello was never maneuvered away. He looked straight ahead and actually moved into the light to speak to the duke. When Desdemona explained the truth to Barbantino, his face finally looked into a light with a face of sudden realization. This sudden realization was not like Oedipus’s due to the severity of Barbantino’s realization. His look into the light was that of a man praying to God for strength not to do something he would regret later. His acceptance of the light was without hesitation or argument. Without the lighting in this scene, the emphasis on this scene would be severely lacking. Also at the end of the scene with Barbantino’s warning to Othello, the light on his face never left while saying, “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father and may thee,” (1:3:333-334). Again, I would like to add that Othello was in the light when he placed his life on her faith to him. This truth of the light has set up Othello’s life in danger. I do not know if Othello dies in the end; however, I fear for him. The truth of the light never lies.
DeleteStill not correct, Mackenzie.
Delete"Seeing the light" is a common phrase that humankind has given the meaning of someone who has seen the truth. In Oliver Parker's 1995 production of Othello, this phrase has the perfect example when Desdemona explains the truth to her father, Brabantio, about her feelings towards Othello during his trial in the Duke of Venice's meeting Hall. In the ensuing revelation, the lighting on him and his movement shows that he is avoiding the light, or avoiding the truth that his daughter has fallen in love with "what she feared to look on"(1.3.116). The darkness on his face shows that the avoidance of the truth is continued. Othello's speech should be noted because the light never left his face. This shows that the truth from Othello was never maneuvered away. He looked straight ahead and actually moved into the light to speak to the duke. When Desdemona explained the truth to Brabantio, his face finally looked into a light with a face of sudden realization. This sudden realization was not like Oedipus’s due to the severity of Brabantio’s realization. His look into the light was that of a man praying to God for strength not to do something he would regret later. His acceptance of the light was without hesitation or argument. Without the lighting in this scene, the emphasis on this scene would be severely lacking. Also at the end of the scene with Brabantio’s warning to Othello, the light on his face never left while saying “Look to her Moor if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father and may thee” (1.3.333-334). Again, I would like to add that Othello was in the light when he placed his life on her faith to him. This truth of the light has set up Othello’s life in danger. I do not know if Othello dies in the end; however, I fear for him. The truth of the light never lies.
DeleteKenneth Branagh was a very convincing Iago. He seemed like he had almost convinced himself that he was Iago because many of his lines were said with a convincing look of hatred. My favorite addition to the movie was Iago's scene with the chess board. This portion of the film shows that he is thinking of the destruction of Othello like a simple game of chess, and suddenly, he has his plan. The movie skips lines 438-445, where the plan is explained. The film skips to the line where Iago says "I have't" (1.3.446). Not knowing what his plan is adds suspense to the movie. I also liked that the production added Iago picking up a piece of burning wood. This made Iago look senseless and fearless. The extremely dark lighting of this film is perfect because the play is a tragedy. The lack of light foreshadows the dark ending.
ReplyDeleteI did not like Pierre Vaneck's portrayal of Brabantio. The lines seemed forced, and the way he spoke was different from how I perceived Brabantio in the play. Also, my least favorite part of the film so far is the way Desdemona says "Due to the Moor my lord" (1.3.218). In the play, I believed that Desdemona was referring to Othello as her lord. In the movie, there is a pause between “Moor” and “my lord.” This could mean that she is referring to the Duke as her lord, but I had always thought that this line was an act of defiance against her father.
Before I start adding my own ideas to this blog, I would like praise Kenneth Branagh for his marvellous portrayal of Iago. However, many students have already commented on Branagh and Iago, so I will analyze Othello instead. Laurence Fishborne played Othello in the 1995 movie, but he is more famous for his roles in The Matrix and CSI. Regardless of what role Fishborne plays, he is always the scariest looking man in the room. Fishborne is a very talented actor, but I think Oliver Parker made the wrong choice by giving him the role of Othello. Because Othello looks so scary in the movie, he looses a lot of the sympathy he deserves, and this takes out a whole other aspect of the movie Parker could have portrayed.
ReplyDeleteBefore I start adding my own ideas to this blog, I would like praise Kenneth Branagh for his marvelous portrayal of Iago. However, many students have already commented on Branagh and Iago, so I will analyze Othello instead. Laurence Fishburne played Othello in the 1995 movie, but he is more famous for his roles in The Matrix and CSI. Regardless of what role Fishburne plays, he is always the scariest looking man in the room. Fishburne is a very talented actor, but I think Oliver Parker made the wrong choice by giving him the role of Othello. Because Othello looks so scary in the movie, he loses a lot of the sympathy he deserves. This removes an important aspect of the character Parker should have had the actor portray.
DeleteThe Matrix and CSI should be in italics, but the italics do not show up when I post.
DeleteI found that in the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, Iago had the ability to change other characters minds on a certain topic in nearly in instant. He captivated me as he looked directly into the camera when he spoke and carried himself with a strong sense of credence. In the few scenes we watched today, Iago convinced Cassio he could break up Othello and Desdemona’s love for one another. He also gave Roderigo the idea that he still had a chance with Desdemona. On line 402 Iago says, “Seek thou rather to be hanged in compassing thy joy than to be drowned and go without her.” Iago’s deep voice and intimidating eye contact created a perfect villain on camera. His power to give other people false hope was difficult to watch but was an empowering role on his part.
ReplyDeleteI found that in the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello, Iago had the ability to change other characters minds in nearly an instant. He captivated me as he looked directly into the camera when he spoke, and he carried himself with a strong sense of credence. In the few scenes we watched today, Iago convinced Cassio he could break up Othello and Desdemona’s love for one another. He also gave Roderigo the idea that he still had a chance with Desdemona. Iago said, “Seek thou rather to be hanged in compassing thy joy than to be drowned and go without her"(1.1.40). Iago’s deep voice and intimidating eye contact created a perfect villain on camera. His power to give other people false hope was difficult to watch but was an empowering role on his part.
DeleteStill has errors, Maddie.
DeleteUnlike the majority of my classmates, I found that Kenneth Branagh missed out on a key aspect of his character. Iago is a character of two faces. This means that he portrays two different characteristics: a sneaky, sinister side and an honest side. The aspect that I could not see was the mix of his two faces. What I mean by this is that when he was acting the honest side of Iago I found him to nice. Iago is an evil character and he should be represented that way. For example, I pictured that the scene where Iago convinces Cassio to go seek guidance from Desdemona on how to get his lieutenancy back, that Iago’s honest side could easily be heard in his words and that his sinister side could be seen in his face. In the movie version, I studied Kenneth’s facial expressions, during this scene, and I saw a part where he was honest and a part where he was bad, but no mixture. One of the times I saw his sinister side was when the camera was zoomed in on just Iago, and you could hear his thoughts. The other was when Cassio and Iago were hugging and Cassio’s head was facing the other way. This was in part the director’s fault for picking the wrong moments to show Iago’s evilness. A suggestion I would have made to the director would have been to get a camera angle in a scene where only Iago and Othello are present. The camera should be at an angle where the audience can see the fire in Iago’s eyes as he says lies to Othello, and Othello being totally ignorant of Iago’s true feelings towards him. Kenneth Branagh, and the director, should have done a better job of portraying both of Iago’s “faces” at the same time.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the majority of my classmates, I found that Kenneth Branagh missed out on a key aspect of his character. Iago is a character of two faces. This means that he portrayed two different characteristics: a sinister side and an honest side. The aspect that I could not see was the mix of his two faces. When he was acting the honest side of Iago, I found that he was too nice. Iago is an evil character, and he should be represented that way. I pictured that the scene where Iago convinced Cassio to go seek guidance from Desdemona very differently than the movie portrayed it. I pictured that Iago’s honest side could easily be heard in his words and that his sinister side could be seen in his face. In the movie version, I studied Kenneth’s facial expressions. In one scene, I saw a part where he was honest and a part where he was bad but no mixture. One of the times I saw his sinister side was when the camera was zoomed in on just Iago, and you could hear his thoughts. The other was when Cassio and Iago were hugging, and Cassio’s head was facing the other way. This was in part the director’s fault for picking the wrong moments to show Iago’s evilness. A suggestion I would have made to the director would have been to get a camera angle in a scene where only Iago and Othello are present. The camera should be at an angle where the audience can see the fire in Iago’s eyes as he says lies to Othello and Othello being totally ignorant of Iago’s true feelings towards him. Kenneth Branagh and the director should have done a better job of portraying both of Iago’s faces at the same time.
DeleteAll you need is "evil" (not "evilness"). Otherwise, you are good to go.
DeleteI thought the movie was a lot more different than the novel. I was expecting some of the characters to be a lot different than I pictured them in the book. Frankly, I did not like a select few of the characters and the one that jumped out at me was Desdemona. Desdemona just did not fit the description I had for her. She not only looks nothing like what I expected, it almost seems as if she is not even interested in what people are saying to her. As long as she gets her way and everything is ok at the time, she is satisfied. I would categorize her as a spoiled brat. The other thing was the kiss scene between her and Othello. When I read the book, I was expecting a romantic kiss that was supposed to be very significant and meaningful. It was no where near what I pictured in the book. Instead of being wonderful, it turned out to be a make out session that seemed like it lasted forever. Overall, I was not too pleased with Desdemona in the movie.
ReplyDeleteI thought Laurence Fishburne played a very powerful Othello. Othello fit the description of being a great leader, a good friend, and loyal to his wife Desdemona. I thought one of the main scenes where he really shined was when he was breaking up the fight between Iago, Cassio, and Montano.
I expected the movie to be a lot different. The characters were no where close to what I expected them to be. Desdemona just did not fit the description I had for her. She not only looked nothing like what I expected her to look like, it almost seemed as if she was not even interested in what people were saying to her. As long as she got her way and everything was ok at the time, she was satisfied. I would categorize her as a spoiled brat. The other thing that really ticked me off was the kiss scene between her and Othello. When I read the book, I was expecting a romantic kiss that was supposed to be very significant and meaningful. It was no where near what I pictured in the book. Instead of being wonderful, it turned out to be a make out session that seemed like it lasted forever. Overall, I was not too pleased with Desdemona in the movie.
DeleteI thought Laurence Fishburne played a very powerful Othello. I felt that Othello fit the description of being a great leader, a good friend, and he was loyal to his wife Desdemona. I thought one of the main scenes where he really shined was when he was breaking up the fight between Iago, Cassio, and Montano.
Jack, you got it all right except for the first sentence in the last paragraph. Parallelism, remember?
DeleteWhat caught my attention in this film was the acting of Kenneth Branagh as Iago. The first thing that Branagh did to get my attention was when Othello said his speech at 2.1 lines 199 till 209. This speech is when Othello says that the war is over. Iago reaction from the film is that he was really happy, and that he really supported Othello. Immediately after that Iago talk to himself about exactly the opposite what shows how his character was brazen and two faces. Another thing that really improved the performance of the actor was the light that Oliver Parker used. In every scene that Iago talked with Cassio or Roderigo light came from Iago back. What Parker was trying to do was show how Iago was false, and how he was doing the most damage in the back of everyone. For example how he's using Cassio to chat with Desdemona to Roderigo tell Othell. In this sequence Iago does not appear as evil, because no character has direct contact with his plan.
ReplyDeleteThe 1995 production of Othello did a good job of showing the controversy over Othello’s and Desdemona’s marriage. Unlike the play, where the controversy isn’t as present early on, the movie shows how the society back then felt about their relationship. When Othello said, “true I have married her,” everyone in the room started murmuring and whispering amongst themselves, showing how the news was a big deal and gossip-worthy. Also, when Othello arrived on Cyprus and he and Desdemona kissed, everyone around them looked like they felt awkward. The onscreen kiss was exaggerated and uncomfortable to watch, but the crowd seemed a bit hesitant even when they weren’t kissing, which shows how everyone felt at least a little uneasy about Othello and Desdemona’s relationship in general, not just the kiss. The movie portrayed the controversy surrounding Othello’s marriage to Desdemona more than the play did. However, the film did this without the use of words, so although Shakespeare might have intended for the audience to see this onstage, readers wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at the text that this marriage was a controversial one at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe 1995 production of Othello did a good job of showing the controversy over Othello and Desdemona’s marriage. Unlike the play, where the controversy isn’t as present early on, the movie shows how the society back then felt about their relationship. When Othello said, “true I have married her,” everyone in the room started murmuring and whispering amongst themselves, showing how the news was a big deal and gossip-worthy. Also, when Othello arrived on Cyprus and he and Desdemona kissed, everyone around them looked like they felt awkward. The onscreen kiss was exaggerated and uncomfortable to watch, but the crowd seemed a bit hesitant even when they weren’t kissing, which shows how everyone felt at least a little uneasy about Othello and Desdemona’s relationship in general, not just the kiss. The movie portrayed the controversy surrounding Othello’s marriage to Desdemona more than the play did. However, the film did this without the use of words, so although Shakespeare might have intended for the audience to see this onstage, readers wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at the text that this marriage was a controversial one at the time.
DeleteThe way I saw Roderigo in the text was slightly different from what I saw in the film. I knew from the beginning that Roderigo was the rich fool who had a history with Desdemona. Never had I imagined his compassion towards having her was so strong. As he broke down in the movie over Desdemona’s marriage to Othello, I was shocked. I saw that his desire for her was very strong. This explains why he was acting so foolish and was even willing to give up his riches to win her back. The movie made me realize how deeply in love Roderigo was with Desdemona.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked about the 1995 version of 'Othello' was how some of the dialogue between characters or snippets of a person's conversation were cut out. In order to keep the audience engaged without having their attention wain, some of the lines were omitted. The editors/writers did a great job at choosing which lines weren't necessary. In 2.3, the scene starts by showing a presumably-drunk Iago singing an old, English song. The film skipped over some brief chitchat between Iago, Cassio, and Montano. The reason this was done was because the audience was already aware that the men were anything but sober, and that short conversation was only taking up time. An example of when short bits of a conversation were cut out is when Iago was giving this long speech to Roderigo in 1.3. At least half of his speech was cut out; rather than spending 3 minutes listening to Iago's plan he devised for Roderigo, the viewer only has to hear Iago talking for only 1.5 minutes. The audience didn't lose any vital bit of information by doing this, and they are still focused on the plot of the story. Aside from wanting to keep the movie short, cutting out bits of the lines in order not to lose the audience is another reason. The audience may or may not have a full comprehension of every line uttered, and stringing out lengthy, oddly-worded conversations may go right over the viewer's head and bemuse them. By being confused, they may lose interest in the movie. The lines were kept short enough for the audience to stay engaged, but long enough to be close to the original text.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked about the 1995 version of 'Othello' was how some of the dialogue between characters or bits of a person's conversation were cut out. In order to keep the audience engaged, lines from different conversations were omitted. The editors/writers did a great job at choosing which lines weren't necessary. In 2.3, the scene starts by showing a "drunk" Iago singing an, English song. The film skipped over some brief chitchat between Iago, Cassio, and Montano. The reason this was done was because the audience was already aware that the men were anything but sober. The short conversation was only taking up time. An example of when short bits of a conversation were cut out was when Iago gave a long speech to Roderigo in 1.3. At least half of his speech was cut out; instead of spending 3 minutes listening to Iago's plan he devised for Roderigo, the viewer only has to hear Iago talking for 1.5 minutes. The audience didn't lose any vital bit of information by having parts of conversations cut out, and they are still focused on the plot of the story. Not only does cutting lines shorten the movie, but it also keeps the audience engaged. The audience may or may not have a full comprehension of every line uttered, and stringing out lengthy, oddly-worded conversations may go right over the viewers' heads and bemuse them. By being confused, they may lose interest in the movie. The lines were kept short enough for the audience to stay engaged, but long enough to be close to the original text.
DeleteTwo little errors, Crystal.
DeleteWhat I liked about the 1995 version of 'Othello' was how some of the dialogue between characters or bits of a person's conversation were cut out. In order to keep the audience engaged, lines from different conversations were omitted. The editors/writers did a great job at choosing which lines weren't necessary. In 2.3, the scene starts by showing a "drunk" Iago singing an English song. The film skipped over some brief chitchat between Iago, Cassio, and Montano. The reason this was done was because the audience was already aware that the men were anything but sober. The short conversation was only taking up time. An example of when short bits of a conversation were cut out was when Iago gave a long speech to Roderigo in 1.3. At least half of his speech was cut out; instead of spending 3 minutes listening to Iago's plan he devised for Roderigo, the viewer only has to hear Iago talking for 1.5 minutes. The audience didn't lose any vital bit of information by having parts of conversations cut out, and they are still focused on the plot of the story. Not only does cutting lines shorten the movie, but it also keeps the audience engaged. The audience may or may not have a full comprehension of every line uttered, and stringing out lengthy, oddly-worded conversations may go right over the viewers' heads and bemuse them. By being confused, they may lose interest in the movie. The lines were kept short enough for the audience to stay engaged but long enough to be close to the original text.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have not seen many movie elucidations of Othello, I thought that the 1995 production is by far the best interpretation I have seen. There are many reasons why. The movie, although omitted lines, enhanced and improved important scenes that was important in the book. For example, one scene that was significant and stood out to me was at the end of Iago’s soliloquy. Iago placed his three main chest board pieces. He positioned the black piece on one side of the chest board, representing Othello, a white piece (representing Desdemona) and finally a soldier in the middle, signifying Iago. This scene was not in the book, but the producer was clever to place it in the movie because it summarized and hinted as to what Iago’s plan will be. Firstly, why did the producer choose the chess board piece? Chess board game players have to be deep thinkers, cunning and without emotion. This chess board piece is Iago’s game plan, and as far as I know from reading in the play, Iago is an intense thinker, crafty and his only concern is himself. Therefore, I think that the chess board piece was a bright choice to symbolize Iago’s playground, and to indicate Iago’s personality. Another reason why this scene was full of meaning was because Iago purposely placed (chess pieces) Othello, HIM, and then Desdemona respectively. Why did he do that? This was possibly done to indicate that Iago will break the relationship between Othello and Desdemona, which is one of his many steps to shatter Othello emotionally and physically.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAlthough I have not seen many movie elucidations of Othello, the 1995 production of the book is by far the best interpretation I have seen. There are many reasons why. The movie, although it omitted lines from the book, enhanced and improved vital scenes that were important in the volume. For example, one scene that was significant and stood out to me was at the end of Iago’s soliloquy. Iago placed his three main chest board pieces. He positioned the black piece on one side of the chest board, representing Othello, a white piece (representing Desdemona), and finally a soldier in the middle, signifying Iago. This scene was not in the book, but the producer was clever to place it in the movie because it summarized and hinted as to what Iago’s plan will be. Firstly, why did the producer choose the chess board piece? Chess board game players have to be deep thinkers, cunning and without emotion. This chess board piece is Iago’s game plan, and as far as I know from reading the play, Iago is an intense thinker, crafty and his only concern is himself. Therefore, I think that the chess board piece was a bright choice to symbolize Iago’s playground, and to indicate Iago’s personality. Another reason why this scene was full of meaning was because Iago purposely placed (chess pieces) Othello, HIM, and then Desdemona respectively. Why did he do that? This was possibly done to indicate that Iago will break the relationship between Othello and Desdemona (represented by the lightning that followed shortly after), which is one of his many steps to shatter Othello emotionally and physically.
DeleteErrors in both these sentences:
DeleteThis chess board piece is Iago’s game plan, and as far as I know from reading the play, Iago is an intense thinker, crafty and his only concern is himself. Therefore, I think that the chess board piece was a bright choice to symbolize Iago’s playground, and to indicate Iago’s personality.
Although I have not seen many movie elucidations of Othello, the 1995 production of the book is by far the best interpretation I have seen. There are many reasons why. The movie, although it omitted lines from the book, enhanced and improved vital scenes that were important in the volume. For example, one scene that was significant and stood out to me was at the end of Iago’s soliloquy. Iago placed his three main chest board pieces. He positioned the black piece on one side of the chest board, representing Othello, a white piece (representing Desdemona), and finally a soldier in the middle, signifying Iago. This scene was not in the book, but the producer was clever to place it in the movie because it summarized and hinted as to what Iago’s plan will be. Firstly, why did the producer choose the chess board piece? Chess board game players have to be deep thinkers, cunning and without emotion. This chess board piece is Iago's game plan. It is his layout in which he can think intensely, be crafty in his actions, and selfishly think of what best concerns him. Therefore, I think that the chess board piece is a bright choice to symbolize Iago’s playground and to indicate his personality. Another reason why this scene was full of meaning was because Iago purposely placed (chess pieces) Othello, HIM, and then Desdemona respectively. Why did he do that? This was possibly done to indicate that Iago will break the relationship between Othello and Desdemona (represented by the lightning that followed shortly after), which is one of his many steps to shatter Othello emotionally and physically.
DeleteKenneth Branagh is an amazing actor and did an incredible job of portraying Iago. The one thing that made him great at doing this was he perfectly showed the two sides to Iago. It is sometimes hard to know which role he is playing during the book, but in the movie Iago is much easier to read because of the great acting skills of Kenneth Branagh. His body language and facial expressions play a major role in in portraying the character of Iago. It is easy to tell when Iago is playing the evil role because he has this annoying smirk on his face, and it is usually dark in the background. He is playing the nice role when he says sarcastic remarks, and when he acts like he genuinely cares about other people. One thing that makes his evil side of him more obvious is that it is usually dark around him. There is one scene in the movie when the camera is fixed on him, and he is giving a speech about his hate for Othello. What makes this scene more dramatic is that there is lightening and fire behind Iago. It is meant to emphasize the evil inside of him. The fire in this scene represents the devil within Iago. Kenneth Branagh does a magnificent job of portraying both sides of Iago. It is hard to decipher between which role Iago is playing in the book, but Kenneth's acting in the play makes it much more clear to the audience.
ReplyDeleteStill have errors, Bailey.
DeleteKenneth Branagh is an amazing actor, and he did an incredible job of portraying Iago. The one thing that made him great at doing this was he perfectly showed the two sides to Iago. It is sometimes hard to know which role Iago is playing during the book, but in the movie Iago is much easier to read because of the great acting skills of Kenneth Branagh. His body language and facial expressions play a major role in in portraying the character of Iago. It is easy to tell when Iago is playing the evil role because he has this annoying smirk on his face. You can also tell because the background is usually dark around him. He is playing the nice role when he acts like he genuinely cares about other people. He also tends to say sarcastic remarks while playing the nice rold. There is one scene in the movie when the camera is fixed on him, and he is giving a speech about his hate for Othello. What makes this scene more dramatic is that there is lightning and fire behind Iago. It is meant to emphasize the evil inside of him. The fire in this scene represents the devil within Iago. Kenneth Branagh does a magnificent job of portraying both sides of Iago. It is hard to decipher between which role Iago is playing in the book, but Kenneth's acting in the play makes it much more clear to the audience.
Deletedidn't mean to put two "in"s in the post
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the video version of Othello, I noticed several things that were changed but still closely followed the original story. The lines that were said in the story were verbatim from the text, and very few lines were added. Most of the textual change between the video and book version of Othello was that many lines were taken out in the movie. Despite losing some of the detail by removing them, the movie still set the scene very well due to the manipulation of lighting, background, and the talent of the actors.
ReplyDeleteKenneth Branagh played Iago very well, he was able to capture how he would gain peoples' trust and then betray them behind their backs. Laurence Fishburne's role as Othello was very fitting to display his nobility, respect, and love for Desdemona, all of which seemed to be much more clear in the movie than in the book.
The lighting during the movie varied in brightness depending on the mood of the scene. While the mood was high and people were in good moods, the scene usually took place in the daytime. When Othello and the others were disputing the matters of his involvement with Desdemona, and during the violence while Cassio was drunk, the lighting was darker to display a more sullen mood.
While watching the video version of Othello, I noticed several changes but the rest followed the original story. The lines that were said in the story were verbatim from the text, and very few lines were added. Most of the textual change between the video and book version of Othello was that many lines were taken out in the movie. Despite losing some of the detail by removing them, the movie still set the scene very well due to the manipulation of lighting, background, and the talent of the actors.
DeleteKenneth Branagh played Iago very well, he depicted the character's ability to gain peoples' trust and then betray them behind their backs. Laurence Fishburne's role as Othello was very fitting to display his nobility, respect, and love for Desdemona, all of which seemed to be much clearer in the movie than in the book.
The lighting during the movie varied in brightness depending on the mood of the scene. While the mood was high, the scene usually took place in the daytime. When Othello and the others were disputing the matters of his involvement with Desdemona, and during the violence while Cassio was drunk, the lighting was darker to display a more sullen mood.
So close, Ian! One error!
DeleteWhile watching the video version of Othello, I noticed several changes although the rest of the movie followed the original story very closely. The lines that were said in the story were repeated almost verbatim from the text, and very few lines were added. Most of the textual change between the video and book version of Othello was that many lines were taken out of the movie. Despite losing some of the detail by removing these lines, the movie still set the scene very well due to the manipulation of lighting, changes in background, and the talent of the actors.
DeleteKenneth Branagh played Iago very well, he depicted the character's ability to gain the trust of people around him and then betray them behind their backs. Laurence Fishburne's role as Othello was very fitting to display his nobility and love for Desdemona, both of which seemed to be much clearer in the movie than in the book.
The lighting during the movie varied in brightness depending on the mood of the scene. When the mood was high, the scene usually took place in the daytime. When Othello and the others were discussing the matters of Othello's involvement with Desdemona, the lighting was darker to display a more sullen mood.
The quintessential Iago should be three things:two-faced, persuasive, and conniving. Kenneth Branagh's Iago conveyed all three admirably with little flaw. The most common intricacy that Branagh demonstrated was his change in voice. When talking to Othello, Roderigo, and Cassio, Iago's tone comes off as welcoming, friendly, and caring. However, when Iago speaks his soliloquy at the end of act 2 his voice becomes deeper and more indignant.This change becomes evident in the book as Iago uses heavier words and fouler language during his soliloquies. Branagh only corroborated Iago's ability to be two-faced by changing the pitch in his voice.
ReplyDeleteWhile some may have found the solo shots and close ups to be exaggerated and over dramatic, I found them helpful for the audience to understand the characters' personas. I found the fact that when Iago was interacting with another character he made sure not to look directly into the camera. Nevertheless, when Iago was alone he looked only at the camera, being the only character in the movie to do so. The first scene we saw of Iago he came off, much as he does in the book, caring and willing to help. He is seen trying to advise an ailing Roderigo.
While I pictured Iago to look more villainous and unkempt, the Kenneth Branagh version gives Iago an added dimension. Branagh plays a two-faced Iago not only internally, but externally as well. The physicality of Iago suggests he is wealthy, intelligent, and well reputable. We all know these do not characterize Iago, save the intelligence, in his own conniving way. Iago is a character of perfect delusion, he is able to depict the way he wishes others to see him. Kenneth Branagh played a flawless and convincing Iago.
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DeleteThe quintessential Iago should be three things: two-faced,persuasive,and conniving. Kenneth Branagh's Iago conveyed all three traits admirably with little flaw.The most common intricacy that Branagh demonstrated was his change in voice. When talking to Othello, Roderigo, and Cassio, Iago's tone comes off as welcoming, friendly, and caring. However, when Iago speaks his soliloquy at the end of act 2, his voice becomes deeper and more indignant.This change becomes evident in the book as Iago uses heavier words and fouler language during his soliloquies. Branagh only corroborated Iago's ability to be two-faced by changing the pitch in his voice.
DeleteWhile some may have found the solo shots and close ups to be exaggerated and over dramatic, I found them helpful for the audience to understand the characters' personas. I found the fact that when Iago was interacting with another character he made sure not to look directly into the camera. Nevertheless, when Iago was alone he looked only at the camera, being the only character in the movie to do so. The first scene we saw of Iago he came off, much as he does in the book, caring and willing to help. He is seen trying to advise an ailing Roderigo.
While I pictured Iago to look more villainous and unkempt, the Kenneth Branagh version gives Iago an added dimension. Branagh plays a two-faced Iago not only internally, but externally as well. The physicality of Iago suggests he is wealthy, intelligent, and well reputable. We all know these do not characterize Iago, save the intelligence, in his own conniving way. Iago is a character of perfect delusion, he is able to depict the way he wishes others to see him. Kenneth Branagh played a flawless and convincing Iago.
Great post, James--but you still have two errors in the final paragraph.
DeleteThe quintessential Iago should be three things: two-faced,persuasive,and conniving. Kenneth Branagh's Iago conveyed all three traits admirably with little flaw.The most common intricacy that Branagh demonstrated was his change in voice. When talking to Othello, Roderigo, and Cassio, Iago's tone comes off as welcoming, friendly, and caring. However, when Iago speaks his soliloquy at the end of act 2, his voice becomes deeper and more indignant.This change becomes evident in the book as Iago uses heavier words and fouler language during his soliloquies. Branagh only corroborated Iago's ability to be two-faced by changing the pitch in his voice.
DeleteWhile some may have found the solo shots and close ups to be exaggerated and over dramatic, I found them helpful for the audience to understand the characters' personas. I found the fact that when Iago was interacting with another character he made sure not to look directly into the camera. Nevertheless, when Iago was alone he looked only at the camera, being the only character in the movie to do so. The first scene we saw of Iago he came off, much as he does in the book, caring and willing to help. He is seen trying to advise an ailing Roderigo.
While I pictured Iago to look more villainous and unkempt, the Kenneth Branagh version gives Iago an added dimension. Branagh plays a two-faced Iago not only internally but also externally as well. The physicality of Iago suggests he is wealthy, intelligent, and well reputable. We all know these do not characterize Iago, save the intelligence, in his own conniving way. Iago is a character of perfect delusion. He is able to depict the way he wishes others to see him. Kenneth Branagh played a flawless and convincing Iago.
I agree with Madison on Desdemona's accent. I dislike her accent because I feel that it does not fit in with the play. She talks as if she is not from Italy. I feel as if her accent does not fit with her setting, and I do not like it. Also her accent seems fake to me because it seems as if she is too focused on the lines and how she should say them instead of just speaking them naturally and not worrying too much about the lines. Also another reason I do not like her voice is because her voice seems neutral when she speaks. One example of this is when she talks to the Duke about letting her go with Othello to Cyprus because she talks as if she does not really care about going with Othello. I also agree with Alexis that she is awkward. Her voice adds to her bodily awkwardness in the way that she is incongruous when compared with the other characters' accents in the movie that surround her.
ReplyDeleteJanet, I will go ahead and identify the one error in your paragraph because it is a COMMON skill tested on the SAT/PSAT:
Delete"Her voice adds to her bodily awkwardness in the way that she is incongruous when compared with the other characters' accents in the movie that surround her."
What are you literally comparing in this sentence? "she" to "other characters' accents."
You need to compare apples to apples:
"Her voice adds to her bodily awkwardness in the way that she is incongruous when compared with the other characters in the movie."
The boldest thing about the 1995 version of Othello was the lighting. Out of all of the clips of the movie, the only clip that was noticeably light was in act 2 scene 1 where Othello was in Vienna basking in the glory of his marriage. The scene was light because Othello was happy. Othello has the power, just like a mother, to affect people’s feelings. If Othello is in a good mood, others will feel good too because Othello is a very respected character. The director did a very good job portraying darkness just as well as light.
ReplyDeleteThe director started the scene in a dark courtroom with the Duke, Brabantio, Othello, and others. There was no light coming in from the outside, and there were just a few candles on the inside. Othello was being accused of using spells against Brabantio’s daughter because Brabantio couldn't believe that Desdemona fell in love with Othello. Othello was not as much angry as he was agitated with Brabantio’s assumption. As Othello enlightens the Pope and Brabantio about what really happened, the lighting in the courtroom gets lighter and lighter until the scene ends.
At the party, the lighting starts dark and gradually decreases. The director made it this way intentionally because there was bound to be mishaps because everyone was drunk. Iago has every fight planned out in advance. At one point in the scene, it is so dark it’s hard to identify characters; things have gone terribly wrong. Othello shows up very angry because of all the noise and fighting has disturbed him and Desdemona. He is also infuriated because this ceremony is dedicated to him. He slaps Cassio because he injured Montano and started a very big fight. This scene doesn’t light up at all because Othello’s frustration turned into anger. When Othello gets mad, everyone else is affected by it.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletePierre Vaneck, the actor who plays Brabantio in the movie plays the role of an old somber man rather than a rambunctious proud Brabantio. In the most important scene in Act 1 where Brabantio realizes he has lost his daughter to Othello he responds by saying " God be with you. I have done" (1.3.219). In the book this can be taken as if Brabantio was acting ferocious and outraged. It can also be seen as a Brabantio who is tired and full of sorrow. This was the last straw so I expected Brabantio to explode in anger. Instead, Vaneck plays the somber Brabantio, which I was particularly disappointed with. Brabantio spent his life raising Desdemona and to have her walk out on him must have caused some anger to stir within him. This choice made by the movie set up Brabantio's character to mope and feel sorry for himself for the rest of the movie instead of try to get revenge on Othello. I believe this took some of the excitement out of the text and dulled the whole relationship down between Othello and Brabantio. After seeing the movie I know think of Brabantio as more of a tired old man rather than a proud senator.
The major difference between a movie and a book is being able to hear the tone of voice of the actors. The voices of actors in the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello really match their character. Oliver Parker’s decision to add pauses in the character's lines added time. This allowed the audience to connect and really listen to what the character had to say. When Brabantio spoke, there was true sadness and disappointment in his voice. Instead of having Brabantio be angry at Desdemona for prioritizing her husband over him, he is instead accepting. The movie showed that he accepted the fact that he can’t change his daughter’s decision by putting their hands together. This choice really went with his sadden but accepting tone of voice.
ReplyDeleteHowever, not all of the actor's voices matched their characters. The actress that played Desdemona portrayed her to be a timid character, which is the complete opposite of who she is. Desdemona is bold. She needs to have a firm, confident, and strong-willed tone of voice. Instead during the scene where she stands up for herself, her voice is soft and shy. This voice isn’t as convincing as it should have been during this scene. However, the actor who played Iago does a magnificent job speaking Iago’s lines. When he is around Cassio and Rodrigo, he has a caring tone as if he genuinely cares for them. He also speaks very casually with hardly any pauses. When he is alone, his voice suddenly slows down and changes to a serious and angered tone. The tones of the actors can really add to the story by giving it more depth, but only if they are done right.
The major difference between a movie and a book is being able to hear the actors' tone of voice. The actors' voices in the 1995 Oliver Parker production of Othello really match their character. Oliver Parker’s decision to add pauses in the characters' lines added time. This allowed the audience to connect and listen to what the character had to say. When Brabantio spoke, there was true sadness and disappointment in his voice. Instead of having Brabantio be angry at Desdemona for prioritizing her husband, he is accepting. The movie showed that he accepted the fact that he can’t change his daughter’s decision by putting their hands together. This choice really went with his saddened but accepting tone of voice. However, not all of the actors' voices matched their characters. The actress that played Desdemona portrayed her as a timid character, which is the complete opposite of who she is. Desdemona is bold. She needs to have a firm, confident, and strong-willed tone of voice. Instead, during the scene where she stands up for herself, her voice is soft and shy. Her voice wasn't as convincing as it should have been. However, the actor who played Iago does a magnificent job speaking his lines. When Iago is around Cassio and Rodrigo, he has a caring tone of voice, as if he genuinely cares for them. He also speaks very casually. When he is alone, his voice suddenly slows down and changes to a serious and angry tone. The voices of the actors can really add to the story by giving it more depth, but only if they are done right.
DeleteIn class, we discussed how Brabantio's speech to Desdemona in Act 1, Scene 3 could be either angry or accepting. In the 1995 production of Othello, Brabantio's speech has a displeased and betrayed tone while Brabantio places Desdemona's hand in Othello's hand. This shows that Brabantio is accepting but not happy. The director didn't choose an emotion; he took both scenarios and combined them. Even though there is no way to tell what emotions were meant to be in this scene, the director should have taken a stand and chosen one. He should have showed the main feeling he thought Brabantio was feeling.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just looked it up and I *think* you can use "showed" in your last sentence here, but I still think "shown" is the more correct form.
DeleteIn my opinion, the most powerful character in the 1995 production was Iago. While he was portrayed as a great villain in the text, the movie brought out Iago's true personality in tremendous fashion. Kenneth Branagh showed all the personalities of Iago so well. He showed the crazy and evil person of Iago to the audience. As an actor, I can attest to the difficulty of portraying those emotions on stage/in a movie. As many of my classmates argued, I believe Iago's most important scene in the movie was from his conversation with Iago at the end of act one because of the symbols shown. The way the movie showed Iago was perfect. He made several references to the devil in his speech and the movie director did a great job of inserting flames from behind Iago, showing his true evil. The way the chessboard was set was also a crucial symbol regarding the whole play. As Farrah said, a villain separated the white and black. The movie director did a great job of summarizing the entire play in just one scene.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean "I believe Iago's most important scene in the movie was from his conversation with RODERIGO?"
DeleteIn Oliver Parker’s 1995 version of Othello, Iago’s costume, as well as his choice of weaponry, serves as a representation of his true personality and character: a stark contrast to the outward disposition of his compatriots. His simple leather tunic, similar to his common public appearance is plain, dignified, and bereft of adornments; yet the dagger hidden behind his back signifies the malicious intent that lurks below the surface and waits to be unleashed. Iago does not have the power and authority of the Duke, nor the fame and reputation of Othello; and his plain and simple apparel reflects that. However, Iago is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, for his innocuous and unadorned wardrobe hides his true, pernicious desires to take back the position of lieutenant, which he believes is rightfully his. His dagger, out of sight on a belt around his waist, symbolizes his method itself to remove Cassio from Othello’s command. Iago does not carry an ostentatious sabre like Othello and Cassio, and thus Iago does not desire to go “the way of the sword” and confront Cassio head-on to reclaim his rank. Instead, Iago goes “the way of the dagger,” playing other characters, such as Roderigo and Montano, against one another to expel Cassio from Othello’s ranks. While both the cinematic and textual portrayals of Iago are accurate in displaying his actions and his overall plan, Oliver Parker’s representation allowed for the painting of Iago’s portrait far before he ever influenced a single character, for his mere appearance suggests much more about his true intentions than Shakespeare’s text does alone.
ReplyDeleteIn Oliver Parker’s 1995 version of Othello, Iago’s choice of costume and weaponry serves as a representation of his true personality and character, which is a stark contrast to the outward disposition of his compatriots. Iago’s simple leather tunic, similar to his public appearances, is plain, dignified, and bereft of adornments; however, the dagger concealed behind his back signifies his malicious intent that waits to be unleashed. Iago has neither the power of the Duke nor the fame of Othello, and his plain and simple apparel reflects that. Iago is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, for his innocuous and unadorned wardrobe hides his true, pernicious desires to take back the position of lieutenant, which he believes is rightfully his. His dagger, out of sight on a belt around his waist, symbolizes his method itself to remove Cassio from Othello’s command. Iago does not carry an ostentatious sabre like Othello or Montano, and thus he does not desire to go “the way of the sword” and confront Cassio head-on to reclaim his rank. Instead, Iago goes “the way of the dagger” by playing other characters, Roderigo and Montano, against Cassio to expel him from Othello’s military. While both the cinematic and textual portrayals of Iago are accurate in displaying his actions and plans, Oliver Parker’s representation painted Iago’s sinister portrait far before he ever influenced a single character, for Iago’s mere appearance suggests much more about his own intentions than Shakespeare’s text does alone.
DeleteI agree with Bailey's post. Kenneth Branagh is an great actor who can influence your feelings. In scenes where Iago is by himself, I felt his anger and his hatred. It made me see his side of the story, and for a minute I hated Othello too. But what adds to Branagh's amazing acting are the environments around him. When he is alone, the room gets darker, and there is slow and heavy music in the background. I, as a viewer, sometimes forget how much the music and the area around the actors can affect the vibe that comes off of the screen. It is important to see that there are people doing great work on and off the stage/screen. The people off screen are the ones the influence our minds to work. They push us to fall in love, get anxious, and tear up. Without the environment around the characters and the ones the create it, what would movies and plays be like?
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many aspects to making a theatrical piece, the character's emotion through their words and facial expressions are the most important. In the 1995 production of Othello, Nathaniel Parker's, who played Cassio had many choices on which emotions to demonstrate. In the fight scene, the decisions that Cassio made largely contributed to the overall mood of the scene.
ReplyDeleteWhile trying to persuade that he was not drunk, he never once showed a smile. He displayed such a stern look on his face and was so confident in his words which made the scene convincing. One great choice that the director of the film made was a close up on Cassio's face while Iago explained the fight to Othello. This allowed the viewers to see the fear displayed on Cassio's face. The fear exhibited set up the next scene after Othello's exit. The suspense of Cassio's fear ended as he fell to his knees and closed his eyes. After he opened his eyes, he displayed an "I really screwed up" look on his face and said " I have lost my reputation" in a very weak voice. This was subtext to him saying "Why did I have to give in to drinking?"
Although there are many aspects to making a theatrical piece, the character's emotion through his words and facial expressions are the most important. In the 1995 production of Othello, Nathaniel Parker, who played Cassio, had many emotional and physical decisions to make. In the fight scene, the decisions that he did make largely contributed to the overall mood of the scene.
DeleteWhile trying to persuade the crowd that he was not drunk, Cassio never once showed a smile. He displayed such a stern look on his face and was so confident in his words which made the scene convincing. A great choice that the director of the film made was the close up on Cassio's face while Iago explained the fight to Othello. This allowed the viewers to see the fear displayed on Cassio's face. The fear exhibited set up the next scene after Othello's exit. The suspense of Cassio's fear subsided as he fell to his knees and closed his eyes. After he opened his eyes, he displayed a "I really screwed up" look on his face and said ," I have lost my reputation." repeatedly in a very weak voice. This was subtext to him saying, "Why did I have to give in to drinking?"
Cole, your post is perfect--until the second to last sentence.
DeleteAlthough there are many aspects to making a theatrical piece, the character's emotion through his words and facial expressions are the most important. In the 1995 production of Othello, Nathaniel Parker, who played Cassio, had many emotional and physical decisions to make. In the fight scene, the decisions that he did make largely contributed to the overall mood of the scene.
DeleteWhile trying to persuade the crowd that he was not drunk, Cassio never once showed a smile. He displayed such a stern look on his face and was so confident in his words which made the scene convincing. A great choice that the director of the film made was the close up on Cassio's face while Iago explained the fight to Othello. This allowed the viewers to see the fear displayed on Cassio's face. The fear exhibited set up the next scene after Othello's exit. The suspense of Cassio's fear subsided as he fell to his knees and closed his eyes. After he opened his eyes, he displayed an "I really screwed up" look on his face and said," I have lost my reputation." repeatedly in a very weak voice. This was subtext to him saying, "Why did I have to give in to drinking?"
Although there are many aspects to making a theatrical piece, the character's emotion through his words and facial expressions are the most important. In the 1995 production of Othello, Nathaniel Parker, who played Cassio, had many emotional and physical decisions to make. In the fight scene, the decisions that he did make largely contributed to the overall mood of the scene.
DeleteWhile trying to persuade the crowd that he was not drunk, Cassio never once showed a smile. He displayed such a stern look on his face and was so confident in his words which made the scene convincing. A great choice that the director of the film made was the close up on Cassio's face while Iago explained the fight to Othello. This allowed the viewers to see the fear displayed on Cassio's face. The fear exhibited set up the next scene after Othello's exit. The suspense of Cassio's fear subsided as he fell to his knees and closed his eyes. After he opened his eyes, he displayed an "I really screwed up" look on his face and said," I have lost my reputation" repeatedly in a very weak voice. This was subtext to him saying, "Why did I have to give in to drinking?"
In the 1995 production of Othello, there were not many scene changes. When scenes did change, it was abrupt and a lot of time passed. After Iago's soliloquy ended on Act 1, Scene 3, Iago, Cassio, Othello, and Desdemona had already arrived to Cyprus in the morning. Then, after Othello and Desdemona's kiss, they began their party and it was night. Because of the sudden changes from night to day, Oliver Parker shows that things could have happened off camera among the characters.
ReplyDeleteWhen Kenneth Branagh was giving his "I hate the Moor" soliloquy, the lighting was the reason that the scene felt as evil and intense as it did. Around Brenagh's face was darkness, giving off the feeling that he was planning something bad. Branagh puts down three chess pieces, with two white pieces and one black piece, and I think that this goes along with the lighting. The man on the horse could be Othello, the other white piece could be Cassio, and the black piece could represent Iago himself. The leaders in this time period are often depicted on horseback, and Iago and Cassio standing beside Othello show that they are two of his most trusted men; however, Iago is represented by black since he has a hidden side that will cause Cassio's reputation to be destoyed and possibly the death of Othello. Fire can represent death and destruction, and I think that is why the movie shows the fire behind Branagh when he is giving his soliloquy, and it also adds a creepy, flickering light to the scene.
ReplyDeleteGreat thinking, Jack. I immediately assumed that the chess pieces represented Othello (black piece), Desdemona (white piece), and Iago (on horseback), but you remind that this symbol could suggest several interesting (and fitting) combinations.
DeleteI am very particular about certain details within a show. If a costume isn’t period, if an actor misses a popular line, or if someone doesn't know their choreography, I go berserk. In this particular production/movie version of "Othello", many of the actors had different accents. I don’t know the specific actor’s nationalities, but they should have adapted their accents to at least sound mildly the same. The worst accent conflict by far was the one between Desdemona and her father, Brabantio. I mean, if you are a father and daughter you would have the same accent if you were raised in the same place, as I assume they were. The actor that I believed had the most realistic accent was the actor playing Iago. It sounded natural and not awkward and forced like some other actor’s accents seemed to be.
ReplyDeleteI am very particular about certain details within a show. If a costume isn’t period, if an actor misses a popular line, or if someone doesn't know his choreography, I go berserk. In this particular production/movie version of Othello, many of the actors had different accents. I don’t know the specific actors' nationalities, but they should have adapted their accents to at least sound mildly the same. The worst accent conflict by far was the one between Desdemona and her father, Brabantio. I mean, if you are a father and daughter, you would have the same accent if you were raised in the same place, as I assume they were. The actor that I believed had the most realistic accent was the actor playing Iago. It sounded natural and not awkward and forced like some other actors' accents seemed to be.
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ReplyDeleteWhile watching Parker's version of "Othello," I noticed several little things that seemed awkward to me. The first thing that seemed awkward was the way Kenneth Branagh stared into the camera during his soliloquies. When I was reading the play, I had imagined Iago stating the speeches to himself in a hushed tone, looking away from the audience as he does it. In the movie, he was very loud in his soliloquies and looked directly into the camera as if to make eye contact with the viewer. The second thing that I found was awkward in the movie was the way Parker changed scenes. The scene lighting frequently changed from light to dark, and this left me wondering whether or not the characters had simply stepped inside or had just slept off-screen for twelve hours. The last thing in the movie that I found awkward was Roderigo's reaction towards Desdemona's declaration of love for Othello. While reading the book, I imagined him being mostly sad until consoled by Iago, but as the scene in the movie progressed, it turned out to be not very similar to the play. I agree with Genevieve when I say that Roderigo was acting bipolar in this scene. He started out as a depressed man ready to kill himself, but he quickly turned into a happy and giggly man after Iago consoles him. To me, that just doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeleteTone of voice had an extremely important role in the reenactment of Shakespeare's Othello. In the book, I sometimes found it difficult to comprehend the exact feeling of the character speaking. In certain dialogues, the play could be interpreted in an entirely diverse manner. For example, Brabantio's reaction to the relationship between Othello and Desdemona could be looked at from two different angles. It could be either one of anger, or one of acceptance. By saying "God be with you! I am done" (1.3.19), Brabantio could either aggressively be telling them good luck on their own and that he is done trying to stop them; however, he also could be saying that he hopes God is on their side and that his work as a father is done. When seeing the play, I decided that the producers leaned more towards the "acceptance" choice. Throughout his speech, Brabantio was calmer than I expected; he came across as even sad. The play's portrayal of Brabantio's feelings shows that he knows Desdemona is right: she has to be with Othello.
ReplyDeleteIn Shakespeare's Othello, tone of voice had an extremely important role. In the book, I sometimes found it difficult to grasp the exact feeling of the character speaking. The play could be interpreted in an entirely diverse way in certain dialogues. For example, Brabantio's reaction to the relationship between Othello and Desdemona could be looked at from two different positions. It could be either one of anger, or one of acceptance. Brabantio says, "God be with you! I am done" (1.3.19) in some of his final words on their relationship; however, when it is closely analyzed, he could either aggressively be telling them good luck on their own and that he will not try to stop their ignorance and stubbornness anymore, or he also could be saying that he hopes God is on their side and that his work as a father is not needed anymore. When seeing the play, I decided that the producers leaned more towards the "acceptance" choice. Throughout his speech, Brabantio was calmer than I expected; he came across as even sad. The play's portrayal of Brabantio's feelings shows that he finally realizes Desdemona is right.
DeleteIn Shakespeare's Othello, tone of voice had an extremely important role. In the book, I sometimes found it difficult to grasp the exact feeling of the character speaking. The play could be interpreted in an entirely diverse way in certain dialogues. For example, Brabantio's reaction to the relationship between Othello and Desdemona could be looked at from two different positions. It could be either one of anger or one of acceptance. By saying"God be with you! I am done" (1.3.19, Brabantio could either aggressively be telling them good luck on their own and that he will not try to stop their ignorance and stubbornness anymore, or he also could be saying that he hopes God is on their side and that his work as a father is not needed anymore. When seeing the play, I decided that the producers leaned more towards the "acceptance" choice. Throughout his speech, Brabantio was calmer than I expected; he came across as even sad. The play's portrayal of Brabantio's feelings shows that he finally realizes Desdemona is right: she has to be with Othello.
DeleteKenneth Branagh's performance of Iago was exactly how our class expected it to from my perspective. He was evil, conniving, and angry during the movie and the play. We expected Iago to be deceiving amongst all the characters. During the movie, he had many of the characters fooled on his actual intentions and feelings. When Othello asked him who started the fight, he was very believable in his response. He has already made Othello believe that he is an honest man, but now because of his speech, he has Montano on his side. Immediately after that discussion, he tricked Cassio into believing that he was on his side by giving him "good" advice on how to get back on Othello's good side, but really he was just going to take advantage of Desdemona's kindness to start the next step to his plan. In all his performance was very good, and believable even for me, someone who knows what Iago’s intentions are at heart.
ReplyDeleteKenneth Branagh's performance of Iago was exactly how our class expected it to be from my perspective. He was evil, conniving, and angry during the movie and the play. We expected Iago to be deceiving amongst all the characters. During the movie, he had many of the characters fooled on his actual intentions and feelings. When Othello asked him who started the fight, he was very believable in his response. He has already made Othello believe that he is an honest man, but now because of his speech, he has Montano on his side. Immediately after that discussion, he tricked Cassio into believing that he was on his side by giving him "good" advice on how to get back on Othello's good side, but really he was just going to take advantage of Desdemona's kindness to start the next step in his plan. In all, his performance was very good and believable, even for me, someone who knows what Iago’s intentions are at heart.
DeleteA talented cast was assembled for Parker’s movie adaptation of Othello. I think Laurence Fishbburne played a very powerful and dignified Othello and Irene Jacob’s portrayal of Desdemona was constrained and her accent didn’t sound quite right. I didn’t particularly like the interpretation of Roderigo’s character - he seemed immature and almost crazed at times. However, like others have noted, Kenneth Branagh as Iago really steals the show. He is the mastermind of the movie and Branagh is able to convey Iago’s complexity. He is a cross between The Joker from The Dark Knight and Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects. Specifically, I think the way Iago interacts with the audience really makes Branagh’s performance brilliant. He has everyone fooled and is “Honest Iago” to every character in the movie, but he reveals his true nature whenever he speaks to the audience. He directs his soliloquies to the camera and confides his evil machinations to us. I feel like he really enjoys explaining his plans and almost convinces us that his manipulations are sane and reasonable. I believe the way Iago breaks the fourth wall and draws the audience in really allows a connection with his character. Although we never really understand his motives, this technique humanizes Iago and I feel like we as an audience are acting as his conscience. Although I knew before watching the movie that Iago was the villain, Branagh’s portrayal of him made him a more dimensional character.
ReplyDeleteParker’s movie adaptation of Othello features a talented cast. I agree with other posters that Laurence Fishburne plays a powerful and dignified Othello and Irene Jacob’s portrayal of Desdemona is constrained and her French accent sounds wrong. I didn’t particularly agree with the interpretation of Roderigo’s character; he seems immature and almost crazed at times. However, as others have noted, Kenneth Branagh stands out in his role as Iago. He is the mastermind of the movie and Branagh is able to convey Iago’s mix of maniacal and manipulative behavior. He is a cross between The Joker from The Dark Knight and Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects. Specifically, I think the way Iago interacts with the audience really makes Branagh’s performance brilliant. He has everyone fooled and is “honest Iago” to every character in the movie, but his true nature is revealed when he speaks to the audience. He directs his soliloquies to the camera and confides his evil machinations to us. I believe he really enjoys explaining his plans and almost convinces us that his manipulations are sane and reasonable. In my opinion, the way Iago breaks the fourth wall and draws the audience in really allows a connection with his character. Although we never really understand his motives, this technique humanizes Iago. As I read the play, Iago came across as completely amoral and pure evil. Branagh’s portrayal of Iago in the movie made him more dimensional and almost likeable.
DeleteIn Oliver Parker’s production of Othello, Iago, (played by Kenneth Branagh) was too like able. My first impression of him in the movie is the exact opposite from the book; in the book I knew he was bad because of the words he spoke and I didn’t like him from the beginning. In the movie, however, the atmosphere he gave off was one of comfort and gave me reason to like him. I pictured him more sinister and less sneaky than he appeared in the movie. Like I said before the atmosphere he gave off tricked me and the other characters in the play in to trusting him even when we knew he was not to be trusted. I guess the difference in the movie and book are that in the movie the viewer has different things to pay attention to whereas the book you only have his corrupt words.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Iago, played by Kenneth Branagh, is the most convincing and interesting character. In both the book and the movie, it is shown how sneaky and sinister he is. I think that Branagh does an awesome job of portraying Iago's inauspicious nature. One thing that I found interesting about this production of Othello was that Iago was aware of the camera, and interacted with it. While delivering his soliloquies, he looks directly into the camera and into the audience, and at the end of one, he places his hand over the camera. I think that this communication with the audience adds to his vengeful personality.
ReplyDeleteFrom Daniel Rolen:
ReplyDeleteIn Oliver Parker’s Othello, there was one particular speech that stood out amongst the rest. It was Iago’s soliloquy in the hall of the Duke. This speech stood out to me because of the way it was delivered and how it differed from the delivery in my head. In my mind, it was a frenzied rant; it seemed much less of an actual speech. However, in the movie, it was slow and methodical. The delivery of the lines almost seemed to drag. The way these lines were delivered showed me a different sort of Iago. The Iago in my mind was hell-bent on revenge, but in the movie he seemed infinitely more collected. The way he delivered the lines proved his ability to plan out events before they even occurred. He was not simply a beast of rage, but instead a character of true malice.
In Oliver Parker’s Othello, there was one particular speech that stood out amongst the rest: Iago’s soliloquy in the hall of the Duke. This speech stood out to me because of the way it was delivered and how it differed from the delivery in my head. In my mind, it was a frenzied rant; it seemed much less of an actual speech. However, in the movie, it was slow and methodical. The delivery of the lines almost seemed to drag. The way these lines were delivered showed me a different sort of Iago. The Iago in my mind was hell-bent on revenge, but in the movie he seemed infinitely more collected. The way he delivered the lines proved his ability to plan out events before they even occurred. He was not simply a beast of rage but instead a character of true malice.
DeleteSince Iago is, as a character, the best actor among all of Shakespeare's creations, it is only fitting to have him played by Kenneth Branagh, the most accomplished Shakespearean actor. Of course, the first thing we judge when we see a person is his appearance. Upon first sight, Kenneth Branagh did not look at all like what I imagined Iago to look like. Kenneth Branagh was far more stout than I imagined Iago to be. In my mind, Iago is long, skinny, and pointed, just like a knife. I appreciated Kenneth Branagh's ability to appear charming and likable in front of others while showing a hint of a pent up and deep rage while talking to himself. Though Iago is Italian, in the movie, Kenneth Branagh keeps his English accent. Personally, this detracted from the reality of the play. Throughout the movie, we got a sense that Iago was talking to himself, but what I found really interesting was the scene where Iago is talking about his plans after getting Cassio dismissed from his position. Iago almost breaks the fourth wall. He speaks directly to the camera for about two minutes. I was so startled by this change that I didn't even realize it until about we were 30 seconds in. I did not appreciate this sudden change and, and I am still not one hundred percent convinced that Kenneth Branagh is the perfect Iago. However, I really do want to finish the movie to see how Iago develops as a character.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite an assertion, Anisha! First of all, I wouldn't call Iago an "actor," but mainly I would challenge your description of him as "the best...among all of Shakespeare's creations." Do you really think this? Why?
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DeleteSince Iago is, as a character, the best actor among all of Shakespeare's creations, it is only fitting to have him played by Kenneth Branagh, the most accomplished Shakespearean actor. Of course, the first thing we judge when we see a person is his appearance. Upon first sight, Kenneth Branagh did not look at all like what I imagined Iago to look like. Kenneth Branagh was far more stout than I imagined Iago to be. In my mind, Iago is long, skinny, and pointed, just like a knife. I appreciated Kenneth Branagh's ability to appear charming and likable in front of others while showing a hint of a pent up and deep rage while talking to himself. Though Iago is Italian, in the movie, Kenneth Branagh keeps his English accent. Personally, this detracted from the reality of the play. Throughout the movie, we got a sense that Iago was talking to himself, but what I found really interesting was the scene where Iago is talking about his plans after getting Cassio dismissed from his position. Iago almost breaks the fourth wall. He speaks directly to the camera for about two minutes. I was so startled by this change that I didn't even realize it until about we were 30 seconds in. I did not appreciate this sudden change, and I am still not one hundred percent convinced that Kenneth Branagh is the perfect Iago. However, I really do want to finish the movie to see how Iago develops as a character.
DeleteIn the 1995 production of Othello, the director used a variety of different techniques in order to capture the characters’ personalities without necessarily using words. One such approach was the use of light and dark accenting body language. The director put more light on a character that was considered “innocent,” “moral,” or “virtuous.” These characters’ stances were open and gave the illusion of honesty and earnest. That is why more light was cast upon Roderigo, Desdemona, and Othello. In the part of the movie we watched, light was taken away from characters that were angry or had bad intentions. Their stances’ were closed off; they often crossed their arms in defense. During the scene in the movie corresponding to Act 1 Scene 3 in the play, Brabantio’s face was cast over with a dark shadow. This deliberate darkness over his body indicated that he was extremely angry with Desdemona. The shadow over his body along with his inward stance screams “fury,” even if the movie was on mute. Brabantio’s speech in Act 1 Scene 3 could be interpreted two different ways. “God be with you! I have done” could mean that Brabantio is finally done trying to tear his daughter from her husband, or it could mean that he is fed up and literally done with his daughter; never wanting to speak with her again and eventually shunning her (1.3.219). On paper, it is not easy to tell what tone Brabantio delivers his speech in, but with visual techniques used by the director, even a deaf person could tell who is dubbed “the bad guy” and who “the good guy.” The most interesting use of shadow was with Iago. Iago is a dishonest person and he knows it. To everyone else he is the most honest guy you’ll ever meet. This gives him two personalities. The director shows this at the end of Act 1 Scene 3. Iago was sitting with Roderigo in a dark area of the room. Once Roderigo left, Iago emerged out of the shadows, narrating his thoughts about his true hatred for Othello aloud. This emergence into the light from the dark does not show Iago becoming good. Instead, it shows the audience his true deceitful personality. This also shows how Iago is two faced. Normally, the antagonist is always kept in the dark. Iago’s slyness does not necessarily end the scene; it actually prepares the audience for the beginning of the next scene and creates foreshadowing.
ReplyDeleteIn the Othello movie, the tone can be characterized by the way in which the characters speak, and the lighting of the scene. If the lighting is dark, then the mood is more serious, but if it is more light, the n the mood is more joyful.The tone of the scene can be determined by the characters speak because as they are acting, they must express the way the characters feeling a dramatic manner. The movie does a good job of showing this because without seeing scenes, it is harder to tell how the characters are feeling, but by seeing their faces as they speak it is easier to see them.
ReplyDeleteIn the Othello movie, the way in which the characters speak, and the lighting of the scene can characterize the tone. If the lighting is dark, then the mood is more serious, but if it is lighter, the n the mood is more joyful. The tone of the scene can be determined by the characters speak because as they are acting, they must express the way the characters feeling a dramatic manner. The movie does a good job of showing this because without seeing scenes, it is harder to tell how the characters are feeling, but by seeing their faces as they speak it is easier to see them.
DeleteNeeds another revision, Charlie.
DeleteIn the Othello movie, the way in which the characters speak and the lighting of the scene can characterize the tone. If the lighting is dark, then the mood is more serious, but if it is lighter, then the mood is more joyful. The tone of the scene can be determined by the characters speech because as they are acting, they must express the way the characters are feeling a dramatic manner. The movie does a good job of showing this because without seeing scenes, it is harder to tell how the characters are feeling, but by seeing their faces as they speak it is easier to see them.
Delete1. characters' speech
Delete2. the way the characters are feeling IN a dramatic manner
3. but by seeing their faces as they speak, it is easier to see them.
In the 1995 Oliver Production of Othello, I thought all the actors were choose well in the play except for Desdemona. Desdemona wasn't the same character as I thought she was while reading the play. I thought that the actress that played Desdemona did a bad job of showing her emotion that she has in the play. She was didn't give Desdemona the personality that Desdemona shows in the book. I think the actor who portrayed Othello did well. It's known in the book that Othello and Desdemona are in love. Othello did a good job of showing this in the Oliver Production of Othello. Desdemona didn't show that she felt she was even in love with Othello like she really is.
ReplyDeletePierre Vaneck is the actor who plays Brabantio in the 1995 version of Othello. He plays the role of an old somber man rather than a rambunctious proud Brabantio. In one of the most important scenes in Act 1 the tired Brabantio realizes he has lost his daughter to Othello. He responds by saying " God be with you. I have done" (1.3.219). In the book this can be taken as if Brabantio was acting ferocious and outraged. It can also be seen as a Brabantio who is tired and full of sorrow. I expected Brabantio to explode in anger but Vaneck plays the somber Brabantio, which I was particularly disappointed with. Brabantio spent his life raising Desdemona and to have her walk out on him must have caused some anger to stir within him. This choice made by the movie set up Brabantio's character to mope and feel sorry for himself for the rest of the movie instead of trying to get revenge on Othello. I believe this took some of the excitement out of the text and dulled the whole relationship down between Othello and Brabantio. After seeing the movie I know think of Brabantio as more of a tired old man rather than a proud senator.
ReplyDeleteI thought the movie was different than the novel. I was expecting some of the characters to be different than I pictured them in the play. Frankly, I did not like a select few of the characters, and the one that jumped out at me was Desdemona. Desdemona just did not fit the description I had for her. She not only looks nothing like what I expected, but also it seemed as if she is not even interested in what people are saying to her. As long as she gets her way and everything is ok at the time, she is satisfied. I would categorize her as a spoiled brat. The other thing was the kiss scene between her and Othello. When I read the play, I was expecting a romantic kiss that was supposed to be very significant and meaningful. It was nowhere near what I pictured in the book. Instead of being wonderful, it turned out to be a make out session that seemed like it lasted forever. Overall, I was not too pleased with Desdemona in the movie.
ReplyDeleteI thought Laurence Fishburne played a very powerful Othello. Othello fit the description of being a great leader, a good friend, and a loyal husband. I thought one of the main scenes where he really shined was when he was breaking up the fight between Iago, Cassio, and Montano.
You got it, Jack! All set!
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