Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Othello

      Released Dec 15, 1965 2 hr. 46 min. Drama List
      83% 12 Reviews Tomatometer 64% 500+ Ratings Audience Score When a secret marriage is planned between Othello (Laurence Olivier), a Moorish general, and Desdemona (Maggie Smith), the daughter of Senator Brabantio (Anthony Nicholls), her old suitor Roderigo (Robert Lang) takes it hard. Allying himself with Iago (Frank Finlay) who has his own grudge against Othello, the two conspire to bring the general down. When their first plan, to have him accused of witchcraft, fails, they plant evidence intended to make Othello think Desdemona is unfaithful. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (30) audience reviews
      Alec B Despite a certain, well let's say, glaring issue (that really stands out on this one), it's a very good if very stagey production of the play. As is typical to Olivier's Shakespeare films, the strength is found in embracing the language. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/24 Full Review Enzo G blackface is bad bro Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 10/16/22 Full Review Audience Member Be patient. This is a long movie, a shade under three hours. Stuart Burge has captured the original John Dexter National Theatre production without many directorial flourishes: and the dividends are a clarity and emphasis on performance, which - barring a few dodgy wigs and the occasional misjudged vocal flourish from Olivier - serves the play well, particularly in the second more dramatic half. The acting is terrific - particularly Frank Finlay's wry and subtle Iago and Joyce Redman's pitifully wronged Emilia. Olivier is mesmerising and is to be applauded for the courage and physical and vocal bravura of his Othello. It's a performance that has divided audiences for almost sixty years - very theatrical, almost camp at times, but gloriously its own beast. I love it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review jordan m Disregarding the obvious problems that Olivier's use of blackface presents (particularly a year after the Civil Rights Act was passed) as a relic of the times, I appreciated this mostly for being so accurate an adaptation of the play that I'll never have to wonder what Othello was about for the rest of my life. This was the first time I saw Olivier act and I did find him intriguingly talented, carrying the movie on his shoulders in a way that made me question how anyone else had their performances recognized with Oscar nominations. However, this movie also opened my eyes to how absolutely overblown and unnecessary Shakespearean acting is - I'm sure it helps the actor get better in an overall sense, but this sort of dogged determination to nail the poetic diction knowing full well that people never actually spoke like that and that Shakespeare was a poet with the benefit of premeditation on his dialogue is the pinnacle of folly to me. Learning how to act by mastering Shakespearean verse is like learning how to get from point A to point B by traveling on a unicycle while juggling - it's impressive when done correctly, but it's otherwise just absolutely unnecessary. It makes sense that Olivier & his Shakespearean peers are seen as among the greatest actors of all time because they did it with this asinine handicap of maintaining strong actual performances to go with so tedious a form of dialogue that the audience, without training of their own, literally cannot follow along with every word. The words form analogies and descriptive images but are positively sprinted through in an effort to display mastery and literal emotion, thereby ruining their effect. I followed this movie in a general sense at best and gave up catching every word within the first 20 minutes. What a shame. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d some huge problems by today's standard but it is really well done for its time. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review rory s Great acting in movie. Good acting, profound messages. The film kept my attention for a this very long film,. Profound movie. Was controversial for Oliver to wear make up that made him looks black. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      88% 87% Pierrot le Fou 93% 82% Fists in the Pocket 90% 81% Judex 12% 29% The Oscar 64% 56% Eva Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Movie News & Guides

      View All Movie News & Guides

      This movie is featured in the following articles.

      Guide of the Dead – An RT Romero Retrospective

      Critics Reviews

      View All (12) Critics Reviews
      Pauline Kael McCall's Olivier’s presence on the screen is the pictorial beauty of heroism. Perhaps that is why we may leave the photographed version of Othello with a sense of exaltation and the wonder of sheer admiration. Sep 19, 2023 Full Review Wendy Michener Maclean's Magazine There are, of course, many ways to film a staged play, and some are so crude as to be of little value even for the record. Fortunately Othello has been made both wisely and well. Jul 16, 2019 Full Review Phil Hall Film Threat Even with its imperfections and politically incorrect presentation, this film is a memorable achievement. Rated: 3/5 Oct 24, 2007 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid It's a bloated corpse of a movie, running a numbing 166 minutes with only Olivier's lifeblood to sustain it. Sep 6, 2007 Full Review Peter Canavese Groucho Reviews Whether taken as a cultural relic or the definitive screen treatment, Othello demands to be seen for Olivier's bravura, high-wire performance. Rated: 3/4 Aug 5, 2007 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com A great cinematic touchstone. Rated: 4/5 Jul 17, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis When a secret marriage is planned between Othello (Laurence Olivier), a Moorish general, and Desdemona (Maggie Smith), the daughter of Senator Brabantio (Anthony Nicholls), her old suitor Roderigo (Robert Lang) takes it hard. Allying himself with Iago (Frank Finlay) who has his own grudge against Othello, the two conspire to bring the general down. When their first plan, to have him accused of witchcraft, fails, they plant evidence intended to make Othello think Desdemona is unfaithful.
      Director
      Stuart Burge
      Screenwriter
      William Shakespeare
      Distributor
      Warner Bros. Pictures
      Production Co
      National Theatre, BHE Films
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English (United Kingdom)
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 15, 1965, Original
      Release Date (DVD)
      Aug 14, 2007