Othello (1965) vs. Othello (1995)

The two versions of the film “Othello” were both very similar as far as the script goes, as both were very faithful to the play and the dialogue being almost identical in both of them. However, that is where the similarities with the two films stopped. Starting with the 1965 version directed by Stuart Burge and starring Laurence Olivier as Othello. The main characteristic of this film that stuck out to me is that it seemed almost like a play being filmed. The set and costume designs were quite elegant and authentic, and the characters’ monologues and performances were captured very well. However, there was not a lot of movement and there was very little change of scenery. This for me made the film a bit challenging to stay interested in. As I’ve mentioned, it was very similar to stage performance simply being filmed, which for some reason didn’t quite sit well with me.

The second main difference between the two was the main character of Othello. Laurence Olivier was in black makeup to play the African Othello. The differences between the interpretations of the characters were different as well. Olivier’s character seemed a little more pompous and quite high strung. At times the constant yelling by Olivier in his dialogue made the film hard to watch. I felt Laurence Fishburne’s rendition in the 1995 update was much more poised and authentic feeling.

Regarding the film style of the 1995 version directed by Oliver Parker, I felt it was far more effective. As opposed to the style of the 1965 version, it was more dramatized and had plenty changes of scenery and action. There was also a lot of imagery involving sexuality, which I felt was necessary to capture the inner emotions of the characters. The set and costumes were equally accomplished, and I would say even slightly better. The constant change of scenery made the film more of a pleasure to follow and better captured the mood of each situation as opposed to the camera staying in a fixed position for a prolonged period of time as in the older rendition.

Both films portrayed the characters in a similar manner aside from the slight differences in the Othello character I’ve mentioned. One thing that stuck out for me was Iago in the 1995 film. When he had inner monologue and spoke aloud to himself he constantly looked at the camera, as if the viewer was observing each situation. I felt as if he invited the viewer into his thoughts and guided us through each moment. Iago’s character portrays the main themes of jealousy and revenge to a large extent. He was constantly trying to set up situations to get back at Othello and for personal gain. Both films accurately showed this, but I just felt a little more convinced and intrigued by the actor in the more recent film.

The character of Roderigo had a different appearance and was slightly more emotionally charged in the more recent film as well. I really didn’t feel much for the character in the older film, and wasn’t very convinced by the actor’s performance. In the newer film, the actor playing Roderigo was darker, more emotional and his obsession with Desdemona was more credible. As for the rest of the cast, I felt like most of the characters were portrayed similarly in both films. The main difference though that was consistent was that I felt there was slightly more depth in the newer film. In the older one, the characters did a great job with their lines, but due to the nature of the style of filmmaking, I don’t think their feelings were truly captured. The characters in the older film felt a little too stiff and formal. I think the nature of the newer film which allowed the characters more movement within more credible scenery enabled their emotions and dialogue to flow more naturally.

Overall both films were accurate to the story and the script was almost line-for-line in each one. The biggest difference was the film making style. The older film was more rigid and proper feeling. The newer rendition had more movement which made the situations more interesting and believable. While the acting was fair in the older film, it just seemed too much like a formal play to me. The dimensions of the newer film allowed the actors more room to enable them to be credible within each situation while still speaking in the original written language. This aspect really made the film exciting for me.

The main themes of human emotions were evident in both, but best captured in the newer version. For example, I really felt for Fishburne’s Othello as he was being double-crossed by Iago and could feel his pain and sadness. With Olivier’s performance, he almost felt like a villain to me. In the end not only was the newer film a much better made movie and entertaining to watch, but it was far more effective in portraying the raw human emotion because of this fact. Both films were interesting renditions of this Shakespeare work, but for me the newer movie was not only more entertaining but was a far better portrait of human existence in dealing with love, trust, fear, and jealousy in particular.

Othello 1965 IMDb | Othello 1995 IMDb