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Put Money In Thy Purse: Filiming Orson Welle's Othello (book)

Othello (1952)
directed by and starring Orson Welles
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© 1997 John Murphy

Literature wise, Shakespeare is the greatest mind of all time. Visually, Welles is one of the greatest minds of all time. Bring the two together and you have the makings of an all time classic. Othello certainly qualifies.

It is frightening to think that I may never have experienced this masterpiece. The original negatives to this film were believed to be lost somewhere in Paris, but were eventually found (through the hard work and persistence of many involved) in New Jersey. It was then digitally remastered, the audio track re-mixed and synchronized with the actors’ lips, and the musical score re-composed note by note by a famous conductor.

The result of all this work is one of cinema’s finest works of art, for Welles is, undeniably, an artist. The screen is his canvas, the camera his brush, and with every passing frame a new painting. Othello is truly a film to be savored, and watched again and again. The use of bizarre camera angles, lines, patterns, and shadows all come together to evoke a mood and atmosphere rarely ever captured before on screen. This may not be what Shakespeare had in mind, but this certainly is one of the most exciting adaptations of one of his plays.

From what I’ve learned, the making of this movie was almost as interesting as the movie itself. Welles financed his project almost entirely with his own money. It was shot over a period of four years (whenever he could get enough money to regroup his cast and crew) and four different actresses were used as Desdemona. All this is startling to learn because Welles keeps everything moving fluidly, certainly not chopped up like one would expect.

The majestic sets and stunning black and white photography are unsurpassed. On very few occasions have I ceased to watch a movie, but instead just sit and look at it.

Othello also boasts some fine performances. First off, Welles as the Moor is completely convincing in black face (unlike Olivier). There are some wonderful scenes between him and Iago, played by Micheal MacLiammoir in an earnestly sinister portrayal of Shakespeare’s classic villain.

In the end, though, the main character in Othello is not Welles the actor, but Welles the director.

**** stars