Movie: Othello (C, D)

Othello is a modernized retelling of Shakespeare's play. During a time of intense racial conflict, John Othello (Eamonn Walker) has been made the first Black police chief on London's force. His best friend Jago (Christopher Eccleston) is angry that his former protege has been promoted over him and launches a truly evil plan: to convince Othello that Othello's new bride, Dessie (Keeley Hawes), is cheating. Michael Cass (Richard Coyle) is an earnest and thoughtful young man serving as Dessie's bodyguard, and Jago skillfully manipulates Othello's interpretation of Cass and Dessie's relationship until Othello's jealousy erupts.

This is a difficult story to do well simply because Othello becomes an obsessive misogynist, but this film allows us to sympathize with Othello while still being honest about the real cost of jealousy and violence in personal relationships. The acting from all parties is superb.

I once wrote a paper on how Desdemona's white wedding sheets are like Desdemona herself: a blank surface on which men can write their interpretations of her. This film tries to flesh Dessie out somewhat, but the story itself depends on exploring what men think of her instead of showing us who she is or what she thinks of herself. While many stories use women as plot devices instead of real people, Shakespeare's story deals with the negative consequences of trying to define women while suppressing women's voices. Even with the modernized plot and language, this movie retains the feel of Shakespeare's play. Grade: A