by Clarke Fountain
synopsis
There are several notable elements to this film production of Shakespeare's famous play. The first is director/producer Ted Lange's subdued and realistic performance in the lead role. The second is the effective performance by Hawthorn James as Iago, the troublemaking bad guy of the story, and the final element is the fact that Othello, Iago and Iago's wife Emilia are played by black actors, and that this is a rare phenomenon. This rarely screened production first surfaced at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival and was well received there.
