Othello 1995 Act I

ACT I


scene i and scene ii

While it's very easy to follow in the film, it's not true to the lines. They crammed both scenes into 9 minutes and cut out everything that wasn't conducive to the plot, such as much of the discussion about whys and wherefores, as well as set up. Although it removes much character relationship development from Iago and Roderigo, you still get a sense for their relationship (at least outwardly) by the actors' portrayals of the character.

Iago, as he's yelling to Brabantio, makes sure he is not seen so that he is not blamed later. While reading the text, I never realized this. I assumed Brabantio saw both of them, and wondered why when the both of them were fighting on Othello's side during the confrontation Brabantio didn't point them out. I feel that this more accurately depicts Iago's character by showing how he is, rather than listening to him talk.

scene iii


Skipping the scene about the sailor's plight to the senators, it focuses directly on Brabantio's argument. Once their affairs are solved, it goes quickly from the next thing to the next. All text, even if it's valuable for character building, is only used when it furthers the plot. Like I said earlier, the actors make up for this by showing, not telling what they're about. This is made easier with movie magic, and would certainly be harder to pull off in this way on a low-budget stage like in Shakespeare's time.

Iago's character becomes very clear, even twenty minutes into the movie. He easily cheers up and manipulates Roderigo, then plots Othello and Cassio's demise. I particularly enjoyed seeing how swift and effortless this change is when played by Branagh. He is very much a warm, supportive friend in public, and a snake behind closed doors.

Awesome Iago symbolism scene:

An image I found awesome was when he sets on a chessboard a black king and a white queen, then places a white knight between them. Doing this, and cutting out the lines where Iago explicitly states his intentions, his plans are more artfully shown, which makes his character seem all the more devious and cunning.