Main Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Irène Jacob, Kenneth Branagh, Nathaniel Parker, Michael Maloney
Release Year: 1995
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Actor Oliver Parker made his directorial debut with this adaptation of the tragic play by William Shakespeare that abridges the original text by half and ups the quotient of sex and violence. Laurence Fishburne stars as the Moorish general Othello, who returns a hero after crushing an invasion attempt by the Turkish army near Cyprus. Pledged to marry the lovely Desdemona (Irene Jacob), Othello ignores the advice of his intended's father, who tells him that she may have a deceptive nature. Othello's aide Iago (Kenneth Branagh), jealous over the elevation of his rival, Cassio (Nathaniel Parker, the director's real-life brother) to lieutenant, begins scheming to make Othello believe that Desdemona and Cassio are carrying on an affair. On the slimmest of evidence, Iago manages to manipulate Othello's suspicious, distrustful nature. Played previously in black face on film by actors Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier, Parker's production of Othello (1995) was the first major cinematic production to cast an African-American in the title role. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Anna Patrick - Emilia; Nicholas Farrell - Montano; Gabriele Ferzetti - The Duke of Venice; Philip Locke - 1st Senator; John Savident - 2nd Senator; Pierre Vaneck - Ferzetti Brabantio; André Oumansky - Gratiano; Indra Ové - Bianca; Michael Sheen - Lodovico
Credit
Desmond Crowe - Art Director, Livia Borgognoni - Art Director, Debbie McWilliams - Casting, Caroline Harris - Costume Designer, Richard Styles - First Assistant Director, Simon Moseley - First Assistant Director, Luca Lachin - First Assistant Director, Oliver Parker - Director, Tony Lawson - Editor, Jonathan Olsberg - Executive Producer, Charlie Mole - Composer (Music Score), Tim Harvey - Production Designer, David Johnson - Cinematographer, Luc Roeg - Producer, David Barron - Producer, Peter Glossop - Sound/Sound Designer, Oliver Parker - Screenwriter, William Shakespeare - Play Author
