Othello Film Review "O"

          Although the times have changed, Shakespeare’s literary masterpiece still is recumbent as the modern day movie “O” depicts the play-write Othello. Tim Nelson set out to update Othello by placing his characters in an American prep school. Although the filming was completed in 1999, the movie did not debut until 2001 because the initial release date was the same year as the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado which would have been very controversial as a result of the gun violence in “O”.

         So the movie was finally brought to the public in theaters by Lions Gate. The creationists titled the movie “O” in trying to make Othello more lifelike and appealing to an audience. However the title adaption does very little to fulfill the audiences needs and the new “improved” title does very little to emphasize the work the producers have created. This is partly because "O" has been overused throughout the years in numerous other movies that the representation is actually useless.

The title character – which is the title character in Othello as well – has been christened Odin James or O. Odin (Mekhi Parker) is a black basketball standout and an athletic scholarship recruit who attends an all-white private high school – this is already looking bad. As a playmaker and great teammate on the court, O is very popular and a great guy, who provokes jealousy in Hugo (Josh Hartnett), the Iago figure. As a result of Hugo’s jealousy, he deceives Odin by any means necessary to benefit him only. To feed his selfishness Hugo plans the downfall of Odin throughout evil deeds in which he intrudes O’s love-life with Desi (Julia Stiles) and planting seeds of jealousy in his head as well. After all, "White girls are snakes, bro,” said Hugo.

     This movie has provoked more than enough controversy…even before it was released! The movies malicious plot, oversees racial and sexual connotations deemed ignorant and crude. The unbarring language, violence, and drug use was also a big controversy throughout the movie. As we now know, the movie was held from the public because its set release date was the same year as the Columbine Shooting, but even more so the violence was picked apart by many critics calling it, Inexcusable – Rotten Tomatoes and Nasty – IMDb. The drug use taking place in a high school setting was another big issue with the movie, in that it compels an audience to feel as if that’s all high school students do, party and do drugs. Overall many facets of the movie were harshly criticized by multiple sources.

              The idea the producers remade of Shakespeare's moor as a kind, hard-working, but fierce ballplayer on the court was quite intelligent as the basketball serves as the war going on in the play Othello. The added drama towards the ending of the play in which O publicly humiliates Desi before he breaks the backboard with his forceful dunk in the contest, truly shows that he has changed and has bad intentions. Although some picture the scene as overly dramatic, I feel as if it added a much needed piece towards the movie that really modernized it from the old play-write.

Completely overtaken by Iago's influence, Odin and the movie loses track dramatically because there is a lack of understanding and the scenes move too quickly for an audience to comprehend. Not only is the ending very gruesome and controversial, but now the audience has no time to digest it and settle down and by that point feel remorse for the movie as a whole.  

Another controversy, by more studious Shakespearians, detects the substance of the play being lost in the content of the movie. For example, in the movie Hugo (Iago) feels as if his own father, who is also the team’s basketball coach, loves O more than him and treats O like his own son. This compiles when Odin receives the M.V.P. award and Hugo finally snaps. The controversy in this is that it was clear in the play Iago’s motives for not liking / deceiving Othello, though in the movie it is never clear if Hugo was deranged because of his father ignoring him, doesn’t like blacks, or mad about his role on the team.

            In summary the modernized movie "O" is a rutting process, but watching this picture is not just covering the Shakespeare play Othello. I’d like to believe that Tim Nelson tried to incorporate real world issues such as race or violence, because if not this movie would be insignificant and majorly controversial as many believe it to be.

 

"O" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for violence, strong language, drug use

Directed by Tim Blake Nelson; based on Shakespeare's "Othello"

Cast: Mekhi Phifer (Odin James), Josh Hartnett (Hugo Goulding), Julia Stiles (Desi Brable), Martin Sheen (Coach Duke Goulding), Andrew Keegan (Michael Casio), Rain Phoenix (Emily) and Elden Henson (Roger).