Othello (The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice)
Trailer
The Moorish General Othello is manipulated into thinking that his new wife Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with his Lieutenant Michael Cassio when in reality, it is all part of the scheme of a bitter Ensign named Iago.
A decent but not great version that makes Shakespeare's reliable play accessible, but the acting is uneven: Branagh is witty as Iago, Fishburne looks but doesn't sound right, and Jacob is pale as Desdemona.
The movie is roughly on the same cinematic level as the Mel Gibson Hamlet, though it tends to get under your skin a little more once it gets rolling.
About.com
November 25, 2003
Fine Shakespeare adaptation
Film4
July 03, 2008
Branagh, as Iago, is so obviously the best thing in this largely uninteresting interpretation that you feel sorry for him when he inevitably bites the big one.
