Othello

Orson Welles (1915–1985)

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While the lighting and sets in Macbeth (1947) still referenced theater, Welles' Othello is entirely "cinematic," giving us the feeling of the "ultimate" visual interpretation of Shakespeare's play. The uncoordinated filming in different countries was so adventurous in itself that its depiction was enough for another Welles feature film (1974–1979). In 1952, Othello premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. To the surprise of the Americans, who had entered another film to compete for the United States, it won the top prize, the Palme d'Or, which absurdly went to Morocco, which co-produced Welles' film. Welles' Othello then disappeared from view for many years until the clarification of rights issues allowed it to be released in 1992 in a controversial restored version with added stereo sound effects. (These are not present in our copy.)