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27 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
Great film, but not "lost", 30 March 2003
Author: colwood

I will not go into the film as many already have said how it is a great work of art despite its "troubled" filming history.

This film is now advertised and available as a "restored" dvd of a "lost" Welles film. But DO NOT be deceived. Whereas the 1998 cut of Touch of Evil was "restored" using a Welles memo as guidelines, Othello was restored by presuming many things. First, dialogue was put in sync and unintelligible diaglogue was "voiced over." And second, the original score was redone, but not exactly as the original. You could almost say a new score was used in the "restored" film. The original cut was Welles' 1952 European version which has only ever been availible as a (OOP) 1995 Criterion LaserDisc. As Welles' daughter owns the rights to Othello, that's the 1992 "restored" version which she also helped on, it is the only one currently availible for purchase in the US (as she receives no money for the 1995 CR laserdisc, she forced Criterion to stop making it.)

While many casual fans will not notice or care about the little changes, don't be deceived into thinking this is "Orson's intended version." Also DO NOT be deceived into thinking this is a lost film. It was only lost in the sense that it had no distribution until the early 90's.

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13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Welles' indomitable spirit in the face of penury shines in yet another Wellesian Masterpiece, 10 January 2004
Author: Abhijoy Gandhi from Philadelphia, USA

THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO: THE MOOR OF VENICE/ US/France/Italy/Morocco 1952 (3.5 STARS)

The recent restoration of Othello brings to cinematic space the magic of another masterpiece from Orson Welles. To think that a whole master negative of this film (which won the Best film at Cannes in 1952) was lying abandoned in a New Jersey warehouse, was discovered by accident and is the reason for this print that we now have access to, is enough to send shivers down the spine of any Welles-phile. . Mise-en-scene: Like with many of his other works involving especially Shakespeare, be prepared for Welles' licenses and personal interpretation of subject matter pertaining to Othello. Yet at the end, we are left with a feeling of deep tragedy and loss for Othello, played by Welles himself, and though we feel that Othello was quite an idiot, we at least feel that he was a very unfortunate idiot at that! . The problem may have been that the critical scene where Iago poisons Othello's mind and fuels his suspicion is scrappy and left unexplored. This may well have had little to do with Welles' artistic choices, and more with his monetary situation at the time. Welles' penury through his European sojourn is widely known and the passion with which he would invest into his films, every penny earned through moonlighting his booming voice and above-average acting skills is legendary, and should put this in context.

. The figure behavior of Micheál MacLiammóir is utterly convincing as the detestable Iago who is consumed by jealousy and rage at being overlooked as the second-in-command. But the person to steal our hearts is Suzanne Cloutier who portrays the fair-dame Desdemona. She is every bit as dainty as we would have imagined her to be. . The stripped down set design works wonderfully for the film and even though budgets may have been the driving force, Othello's barren palace is preceded only by the barrenness of his blinding jealousy and irrational actions. . Cinematography: As we have come to expect, Orson Welles has a unique cinematic language, through which he creates a Wellesian world of skin-burning close ups, dutched crazy world-frames and low angle shots to create a tense atmosphere of foreboding. But there is no better example of exploring and using frame depth than in Othello. Time and again Welles plays with foreground element to reveal psychologically subjective and meta-diagetic moods while cleverly using the depth in the frame to forward the narrative and plot the next progression. The title shots of the film are harrowing in their effect, with the interplay of high-contrast earth and sky contours that at once establish the mood for an intense cinematic experience. . Sound & Editing: The restored version has a brand-new soundtrack mentored by Welles' daughter, and while it enhances the experience to telling effect, it is irony to note that just the new soundtrack cost much more than what Welles assembled the whole film for. The fact that parts of the film were shot MOS and other parts used ADR is distracting due to the obvious lack of lip-sync, but in the final analysis, we watch Welles with reverence almost as if on a visit to Sunday Mass, paying homage, never once forgetting that were are witness to a filmmaker stripped of resources, devoid of many essential tools, but one with indomitable spirit who refused to be cowed-down. Othello is magical in its story telling and another worthy showcase of the genius of Orson Welles.

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Welles brings it !, 4 February 2005

Author: setrappa from United States

The power of Welles performance should make anyone not already an admirer stand up and take notice. The dark, brooding nature of Welles character sets the tone throughout this film. Each of the prominent characters seems to feed off this intensity, making each the better for it. The spartan sets and excellent use of lighting add to this powerful delivery making the words feel true and soul wrenching. I think this production could have been played out on a bare stage and still be regarded as a fine work, the dialogue and delivery is of such fine caliber. "The Moor of Venice" is a fine example of Orson Welles vast talents as a performer and director and should not be missed.

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the great Shakespeare films., 12 September 1999
Author: lime-3 from San Diego, CA, USA

I must be one of the few who saw this film (more than once!) before it vanished in the 60's. I saw it on TV in the last 50's, and later brought it to the small college where I was teaching 63-65. Though heavily cut and more than a little rearranged, it is one of the very finest of Shakespeare films. Performances are generally excellent and unified in style and diction. Welles, or course, is magnificent. Anyone who thinks he was never anything but a self-parodying ham has not seen this film. One could wish than MacLiammoir had had more overt FUN as Iago, who does what he does, in part at least, in an attempt to stimulate himself out of his blunted affect. The film also has some of the finest black-and-white cinematography of all time, and uses architecture in a unique and effective way.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Great movie from Welles, 29 November 2006

Author: homeros8000-1 from Jordan

I've always been an admirer of Welles movies, starting with citizen Kane and the other masterpieces. Considering Othello, I highly admired this movie since the first shot, when the face of the dead Othello appears suddenly in the dark, and then the other details begin to appear, revealing the awesome funeral of both Othello and his murdered wife. In fact the best thing about this movie is the synchronization of the camera movement and angles with the state of mind and moods of characters especially that of Othello. Sometimes we are actually looking at the world through Othello's mind, the images are bizarre and grotesque, this is accompanies by wonderful acting of the cast. For any Welles fan this is a must see, considering the beauty of picture and creativity of interpretation. It's a pity that Welles didn't have a sufficient financial support to surpass some technical problems although the final effect and meaning of this masterpiece is not affected at all!

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Concentrated Shakepseare, 2 August 2006

Author: OttoVonB from Switzerland

Othello, Moor of Venice, loves Desdemonda. Unbeknownst to him, one of his lieutenants, Iago, seething with jealousy, plans to bring him down. Iago slowly builds a web of deceit and lies around Othello that leads him to question the faithfulness of his wife and men, ultimately pushing him to far...

Many a time has a white actor portrayed black Othello. Thankfully, Welles excels in the title role, his hurt palpable. In adapting Shakespeare's play, Welles has done away with subplots he deemed unnecessary. His "Othello" boils down to the title character, his wife, Iago and bit players (and impressive numbers of extras). Fans of the text may regret the absence of a character or the significant reduction of his/her importance. It diminishes the play but enhances the film, giving it a tighter focus and a more fluid structure and running time. But as always, we expect more from an Orson Welles film.

Orson Welles is mostly celebrated for reinventing the look of film. His pictures each possess a unique aesthetic and daring camera work. Othello holds its own even when measured against the impressive Welles oeuvre, a true miracle if you are familiar with the films' history. Shooting it over years and in different locations (Morocco, Spain, etc.) with variations, often within the same scene, Welles managed to create the watertight illusion of a coherent world, leading the viewer to imagine that lavish sets and locations were available. For anyone interested in editing or any other aspect of film-making, this is an indisputable milestone in directorial resourcefulness.

Othello was Welles's second Shakespeare interpretation as star and director, soaring high above his very interesting Macbeth. He would return to the Bard one last time with his apotheosis, Chimes at Midnight. This trilogy is a gift. What a joy it is to see America's greatest director work with the world's greatest playwright...

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11 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Dimensional Filmmaking, 3 July 2000
Author: tedg (tedg@FilmsFolded.com) from Virginia Beach

Commenting on Shakespeare films is rather like admiring Easter Eggs.

First the inside: this was never a great play, relative to Shakespeare's other works. His great plays are about ideas, with characters as vectors to prod and activate them. This play is merely about characters, which makes it attractive to actors. That's certainly why Welles selected it.

Welles is the Sinatra of dramatic reading, with phrasing mastered in his radio days. All else is acceptable (at least to my tastes) so far as the play goes.

Now the shell, and here is what makes this film one of the most important. When Welles moved into film, he did so as an architect. He understood that great film constructs a space that includes the audience. So he worked with the most direct tools, buildings themselves. These sets are remarkable. I cannot imagine how he found them, how he could have seen the possibilities.

Selection aside, how he uses the spaces! View this film at least once in silence. I rate Welles as one of the 20th century's great architects and predict that this film will be mined when we get around to really creating cyberbuilding.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Welles' images match the beauty of Shakespeare's language, 3 January 2006

Author: EddieK from United States

Considerable controversy has surrounded the 1992 restoration and re-release of Orson Welles' "Othello." First, the film was wrongly labelled a "lost classic" - not technically true, as Welles aficionados will realize. More seriously, the restoration crew (under the aegis of Welles' daughter, Beatrice Welles) re-synced the dialogue and re-recorded the musical score - an abomination to Welles purists. While it would have been preferable to adhere to Welles' vision for the film, such an endeavor becomes extremely difficult when no written record of Welles' intent exists (as it did with his famous 26-page memo to Universal regarding "Touch of Evil"). So it's true that the restored version lacks a degree of authenticity, but what are the alternatives? Grainy, scratched, poorly synced public domain prints (c.f. "Mr Arkadin" and "The Trial")? Or, worse, no available copy at all (c.f. "Chimes at Midnight")?

Anyway, on to the film. "Othello's" existence helps disprove the charges of profligacy and "fear of completion" that plagued Welles' career after "Citizen Kane." Shot over four years in Morocco and Italy, and financed largely by Welles himself, "Othello" manages to avoid a low-budget look, thanks largely to virtuoso editing that masks the incongruities of time and space. Welles' powers of invention are on full display here, most obviously in the famous Turkish bath scene (an improvised set necessitated by a lack of costumes). Set designer Alexandre Trauner's astute choice of Moroccan and Venetian locations instantly establishes a geographic authenticity; Welles initially exploits them for all their stark beauty before retreating into noirish interiors, underscoring Othello's descent into darkness.

Aside from Michael Macliammoir's chilling Method performance as Iago, the acting in Welles' "Othello" has been criticized as too restrained and modulated for Shakespearean tragedy. Such criticism is largely unwarranted, for this "Othello" is as much for the eyes as the ears: Welles' bold framing and expressionistic camera angles free the play from its theatrical moorings (pun intended), undermining the need for stage elocution. Indeed, the camera is the true star of this film, as Welles generates images that match the grandeur and eloquence of Shakespeare's language.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Good but Flawed, 27 February 2008
Author: Michael_Elliott from Louisville, KY

Tragedy of Othello, The (1952)

*** (out of 4)

Orson Welles produced, wrote, directed and stars in the title role of this Shakespeare adaptation, which has had a mangled history over the years but I think in the end that the film works pretty well. I watched the "restored 1992" version of the movie and while I know there are two others versions out there I'm really not sure which would be the one to start with. While it's rather obvious that certain scenes were shot years apart from one another, that really doesn't take away from the entertainment value and it's easy to spot that this baby is Welles' from start to finish. The technical side of the film is quite brilliant considering the director was constantly running out of movie. The cinematography is top notch as is the editing and the overall visual style. Welles is very impressive in the lead but it's Michael MacLiammoir as Iago that steals the show.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent version of the great Shakespearean tragedy, distinguished by fine camera work and powerful performances., 17 January 2007

Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor Of Venice was shot over three years, with several occasions when the shooting schedule closed down completely due to lack of funds (actor-director Orson Welles went away during these gaps in filming and made other movies, using his salary from those pictures to complete this one). Logic would suggest that any film made in such a disjointed way would surely be incoherent or at best rather lumpy. After all, if you're making a movie how can you get any sense of fluidity into the action and the acting if you keep stopping what you're doing for lengthy periods of time? Fortuitously Welles, who was an absolute genius of the cinema, somehow manages to pull all the disparate pieces of filming together, sewing three years' worth of interrupted footage into a fine quilt of a movie. For a film with one of the most disrupted production histories ever known, The Tragedy Of Othello: The Moor Of Venice is a quite remarkable achievement.

The film opens with Othello, the Moor of Venice (Orson Welles) being carried to his funeral in Cyprus alongside his beloved wife Desdemona (Suzanne Cloutier). Imprisoned in a cage high above this funeral procession is Othello's lieutenant - and once-trusted friend - Iago (Michael MacLiammoir). In flashback, we learn how Othello and Desdemona died, and why Iago is made to witness their journey to the grave from his undignified cage.

Iago, an ensign reluctantly working under Othello, dreams of having Desdemona for himself. With the help of rich Venetian Roderigo (Robert Coote), he plans to become her suitor. But Iago grows livid when he learns that Desdemona has already courted Othello and is now his wife. Determined to have his revenge, the villainous knave sets about ruining their relationship. He plants seeds of suspicion in Othello's mind and leaves cleverly "staged" circumstantial evidence lying about that will lead the Moor to unpleasant conclusions. Ultimately, Othello finds himself convinced that his wife is a cheating whore, so he kills her. Later he discovers his error and kills himself, but not before Iago's part in the tragedy is exposed and he is imprisoned for his treachery.

Welles the actor gives an impassioned performance as the titular character, while MacLiammoir is equally stunning as his jealous adversary. Welles the director shows tremendous resourcefulness, creating a wholly believable sense of authenticity in the sets and characters despite his limited funds and disrupted shooting schedule. The moody lighting and constantly off-kilter camera angles add to the film's considerable atmosphere. Evidence of this can be found in the famous Turkish Baths sequence, which may have been shot on an improvised set but contains extraordinary tension. The shot of Iago dangling in his miserable little cage above the funeral is also haunting and memorable. Critics have made much of the crackly sound quality and the amateurish playing of the supporting actors, and I must admit there is an element of truth in that. I have never seen the restored version of the film, which allegedly contains more audible sound recording. However, in spite of its flaws The Tragedy Of Othello: The Moor Of Venice is still striking cinema, and testament – if any is needed – that Welles was a master of his art.

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