MovieChat Forums > Othello (1996) Discussion > Brannagh? No, no, no

Brannagh? No, no, no

posted 19 years ago by Rhythm_Rider
14 replies | jump to latest

Now don't get me wrong. Othello is by far the best play ever written, and likewise Iago among the greatest literary figures. However Brannagh does not bring enough to this role. His facial expressions and deliverance of lines do not do his character any justice. At times he tries too hard to appear natural on screen and it just makes him look silly. Fishburne was even worse! True he did have that exotic look that hints at Othello's illustrious past, but he struggled with the accent and did not bring enough passion to the role. If you enjoyed this i recommend you watch the BBC production with Ian McKellen as Iago. He is by far the greatest actor i have personally seen bring Iago alive.

"Lord make me immortal" - Salieri

[–] rtjhnsn1 19 years ago

Maybe Kenneth Branagh doesn't agree with your interpretation of Iago; he doesn't exactly agree with mine. But he does a great job with his interpretation. In fact, he was the best thing about this version. (The worst being Desdemona. Irene Jacob doesn't speak English very well.)

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Rhythm_Rider 19 years ago

Well darkwatcher your view is interesting to say the least. However i feel his duplicitous nature is only half portrayed by Brannagh. Remember that most characters refer to him as "honest Iago." So there must appear to be a very genuine side to his character. Not the sarcastic approach Brannagh portays.

You say that "Brannagh beautifully captures this chaotic world within the ruthless mind of Iago." How so? Brannagh to me captured nothing of the evilness that reeks from his character- instead he looks like an actor belittled by his own character's actions and meticulous care to the downfall of Othello.

"Ofcourse even when prompted..." (please explain- prompted by who, and to do what?)

"The enemy cannot push a button, if you disable his hand. Medic!"

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] netstvdvs 19 years ago

May I posit an alternate view of Branagh? I submit that perhaps he has assigned himself the task of making Shakespeare accessible to the masses, and thus colors his interpretations of Shakespeare's characters with vocal inflections/body language/facial expressions which are designed to make the lines more easily interpreted by those of a less scholarly bent.

"I've been smart; I recommend pleasant. You can quote me" - Elwood P. Dowd

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] oldgirl 19 years ago

Nope. Jacobi's.

[–] haroldnmaude 19 years ago

I disagree...he is sublime in his portrayal and indeed still one of the best actors of his age.

[–] IrishHeart45 18 years ago

I actually don't usually like Branagh, but I love him in this. I don't know enough about the play itself to get into a very detailed discussion about it, but I think he brings a lot to this adaptation. One of the most interesting things about the play (when I read it) was how enigmatic Iago is, even though you know how evil and diabolical he is. You can't help but be fascinated by the way he goes about his revenge, and I think Branagh captured that aspect of the character brilliantly. I'm going to see it again this weekend, so I'll post and apologize if I see it differently this time. I was just posting how I feel about this.

[–] dustbunnies-2 17 years ago

I love him and I thought he was amazing in this!

[–] irisheyes317 15 years ago

He is by far my favorite Iago.

Ebert spent his review griping about how Branagh relentlessly played the role as a repressed homosexual: Newsflash: there have been scholarly articles written on the role coming to this very conclusion! There are other notable actors (such as Laurence Olivier) that have performed the role with this interpretation in mind and have managed to pull of convincing and memorable Iagos. That's not to render other interpretations of the character as illegitimate, but it's still a strong and logical possibility.

Think about it: Earlier in the film, Iago speaks hatefully of Othello in the same matter a jilted lover/frustrated individual suffering from unrequited love would behave (those of you who've studied human psychology would be aware of this). Further, observe his reaction upon receiving Othello's complete trust and promotion to leutenantship-it resembles relief at obtaining long-desired favor.

This is not to put down others' interpretation of the role or what Branagh intended. Feel free to disagree.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] stevenackerman69 14 years ago

I guess I am used to seeing Branaugh do Shakespeare on film that I figure he can do any character.