Othello

Othello is a fine adaptation of the famous Shakespeare play. The idea of Shakespeare without dialogue might seem perverse, but in fact works very well, not least because Shakespeare's stories are so good. Moreover a flavour of Shakespeare's language is preserved in the title cards. This silent version is quite a lavish production, with large sets, detailed costumes and crowd scenes, but what makes it really stand out is the quality of the acting. Emil Jannings was an incredibly versatile actor. At times he is barely recognisable from one role to another. He looks totally different in, for example, Faust or The Last Laugh and his style of acting also changes from role to role. Douglas Brode, in an essay accompanying the DVD, argues that Jannings was a theatrical actor, chewing the scenery in his portrayal of Othello. I would disagree and would suggest that Brode has missed some of the subtlety of the performance. Jannings uses subtle changes of facial expression to convey Othello's mood. His portrayal of Othello's tortured jealousy is nuanced and far from over the top. Werner Krauss also gives a fine performance as Iago. He portrays Iago as Mephistopheles, bringing humour and devilry to the part. Kraus is also something of a chameleon. Those familiar with the actor from his role in The Cabinet of Dr Caligari will not recognize him as Iago. His acting is a joy to watch. Ica von Lenkeffy, in the role of Desdemona, can't really compete with two of the greats of German cinema, but she holds her own and looks stunning.

The print used for this Kino DVD is not perfect. There is a fair amount of damage and there are some occasional jumps where a few frames have been lost. However the print is perfectly watchable and the damage does not really spoil the enjoyment of the film. This enjoyment is enhanced by a very good piano score composed and played by John Mirsalis. This score has some fine themes and fits in well with the action.

As a bonus the DVD has four short films with a Shakespearian theme. The first of these, Duel Scene from Macbeth (1905) is mainly of interest because it is such an early film. It lasts barely a minute. The second, The Taming of the Shrew (1908) was directed by D.W. Griffith, but I wouldn't say it is one of Griffith's best Biograph films. The third short film Romeo Turns Bandit (1910) is more interesting, partly because it stars one of the great early comedians Max Linder. Also it exhibits the stencil colouring process used by Pathé. Unfortunately much of this colour has faded, but enough remains to get an idea of the process. The last short film, Desdemona (1911), is the longest of the four and I think the best. The story is of a group of actors putting on Othello with the backstage action mirroring that of the play. The print of the film is in pretty poor shape, but it is a pleasure to be able to see the film at all. These bonus films really add to the DVD and make it a must for silent film fans.

I was looking forward to this release of OTHELLO with the same sort of anticipation that I had reserved for Kino International's RICHARD III. Therefore I must confess that I found this DVD something of a disappointment which has nothing to do with the film itself but rather with the presentation. My biggest complaint is with the piano score written to accompany the film. It's not a bad score but it seems inadequate for the story and for the visuals especially after hearing Ennio Morricone's score for RICHARD III. An orchestral or chamber music score would have been more appropriate. There's also a considerable lack of information about the main feature. Where are the credits?

Having said that I found the film itself a delight. While not a literal adaptation of OTHELLO, it conveys the psychological essence of the play quite well. This is after all a German silent with the appropriate visual look and stylised performances that are to be expected with such a film. The performances of Emil Jannings and Werner Krauss are simply marvelous especially Krauss whose Iago resembles the Mephistopheles that Jannings would portray in FAUST two years later. His remarkable resemblance to Terry Jones of MONTY PYTHON adds a little something extra for today's audience. It's interesting but not surprising that Lya De Putti as Emilia receives higher billing than Ica von Lenkeffy as Desdemona. Her relationship with Iago is far more interesting than that of Othello and Desdemona. Hungarian actress De Putti appeared in a number of important German silents including THE INDIAN TOMB and VARIETY. Ica von Lenkeffy, another Hungarian actress, has little to do except stand around and look pretty which is often the case with Desdemona on film.

Director Dmitri Buchowetzki mixes potent visuals, close ups, and large scale crowd scenes to great effect. The print is less than perfect but is probably the best available and is still very fine. The supplements are a definite plus and here the piano accompaniment fits quite nicely. The 1911 DESDEMONA takes the top honors. The resemblance of Ronald Colman's A DOUBLE LIFE to it did not go unnoticed. Check out Biograph's 1908 TAMING OF THE SHREW for a rare glimpse of Florence Lawrence, the original Biograph Girl, who portrays Katherine. There is also early Max Linder in ROMEO TURNS BANDIT and interesting costumes in DUEL SCENE FROM MACBETH. All in all a valuable release and a must for silent film fans. It's really good but it could have been even better.

In the context that this is a silent film - so it loses the main attribute of Shakespeare, the words - cut to less than an hour and a half and it is of course literally spotty as most films of this age are, it's still highly interesting. Jannings is quite subtle and stately in the bookending scenes of the film; when he loses his mind he really loses it, and similar to Olivier over forty years later is over the top in an operatic style, which may be what the role calls for. The rest of the cast is very good for the style of the time, and often subtle, though why Iago has to slither behind pillars has never made any sense as he has the standing to be on the premises. What is unusual to this day in stage or screen versions is that the opening is really Venice and the rest of the play Cyprus (though less convincingly) and some kind of war is going on. Though incompletely achieved, this film is unique to my experience of the play in creating any of this. It is a small personal story in the middle of war and impending chaos. Jannings hits on two terrific qualities in his performance - Othello is sweet and naive with Desdemona; and he is just incapable of understanding Iago and his nature. I would have loved to have seen him on stage in the role, or with sound in a film. His murder of his wife is brutal (cut to be brief) and with it Jannings shows that a warrior's nature is to kill. If nothing else, his performance is a road map for future Othellos with better technology and a full script.

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