Othello (1951 version)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Othello (1951 version) – O. Welles

Although Welles’ Othello puts forth a very serviceable reading of the Bard’s tragedy of jealousy, the real magic here lies in the circumstances of its production and the way that Welles welded together diverse elements (with string and bits of sealing wax) to create an alternate reality that never really existed except in the minds of the viewer.  Shot variously in Morocco, Venice, and other parts of Italy, it would be impossible to create a map that links the various locations together. Yet, miraculously, the film feels whole, in glorious black and white with Welles’ eye for the wondrous shot in fine form.  Of course, it is the editing that keeps the disparate parts together, with shots and counter-shots apparently filmed years apart in different locations, and sometimes the cutting is fast and furious (but never less than astounding).  The acting can be variable (Suzanne Cloutier seems a weak Desdemona – and, apparently, she was dubbed for the 1955 version, re-edited by Welles for the US release) but somehow Welles (as Othello) and Michael MacLiammoir (as Iago) pressed on, even when other members of the cast were absent (and shot with doubles from behind).  If all this sounds like it might distract one from Shakespeare’s words, well, yes and no – the tragedy is still terrible (with Iago cruelly convincing pitiful Othello that innocent Desdemona has cheated on him), even with Welles’ condensing, but the amazing spectacle of the production itself creates the most awe.