Othello: Similarities Between The Play And The Movie

Othello The movie O directed by Tim Blake Nelson is a modernized version of the play Othello written by William Shakespeare. Both the film and the play bear striking similarities, although this adaptation of Otello also includes some different characteristics than the original play text. The similarities and differences are distinguished through the modernized plot, cinematic techniques used to illustrate the play text as a tragedy and successfully retaining the tragic structure of the play Othello. The modernized plot has a few similarities and difference from the original play text. In the play Othello, war scenes are performed off stage and are usually occurring during a storm. During one of the scenes in the play, the Third Gentlemen states “News, lads, Our wars are done!”(II.2.20). This is the indicator that Othello and his army are at war but the audience isn't able to see it occur because of the storm that is taking place. However in the modernized version O, the war scenes are substituted with the game of basketball. During the games of basketball the camera movement is usually in the form of a dolly, where the camera itself moves up and down the court with the players. The characters of the film O compare playing basketball to going to war with their opponent’s team. In order to

In the play Othello, Othello is also viewed as a very important general of Venice’s army. Despite the racist remarks that are made towards both characters and the derogatory terms that they are referred to, they are well respected and are needed in order for the success of other minor events occurring in both texts. The First Senate states “Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor” (I.3.48). This shows that although they might not accept Othello because of his ethnicity, they still respect and honour him by referring to him as the brave/ valiant