Parkers Othello- Playing a Game of Chess

The story of one that loved not wisely, but too well (Shakespeare 202), Othello is a
Shakespearean tragedy that tackles very sensitive issues such as racism, adultery and
womens place within family and society, so it comes as no surprise that there have been
many attempts to revive the play by adapting it and turning it into a film. One of the most
famous Othello movies, the very first that featured an Afro-American actor in the role of
Othello, is the 1995 movie directed by Olivier Parker. The setting of the movie is rather
military, especially in Cyprus (armoury, dungeons, fortresses, weapons) and this is probably
an attempt of Parker to compensate for the fact he had excluded any scenes regarding the
battle on the stormy sea between the Venetians and the Turks and Othellos return from the
battle, focusing on the tragic fate of Desdemona and Othello. In the following pages I will
attempt to analyse important scenes and other aspects of the movie and also to compare it to
Shakespeares text.
THE BEGINNING
The beginning of Parkers movie contrasts powerfully with the one of the play. If
Shakespeare begins its story on a street in Venice, with a discussion between Iago and
Roderigo about Desdemonas marrying Othello and about Iago not having become lieutenant,
Parker decides to start his movie before this conversation, perhaps to offer a less abrupt
introduction in the universe of the play. The movie starts with images of Venice and of a
black man and a white woman in a gondola, an obvious reference to Othello and Desdemona
and to their marriage. Very interesting is the fact that the black man looks straight at the
camera and puts on a white mask, which can symbolize the fact that the story is about an
intruder, a man who wears a mask, since Othello is a convert and he is not a Venetian, he is
an intruder in Venice, an intruder among Christians, and maybe even an intruder in his
marriage and in the world of his wife. On the other hand, wearing a mask better describes
another key character of the play, Iago, so the mask may refer to him and it can tell us that it
is not a black man, but a white man that controls and is behind everything and this mans
power comes from his ability to pretend, to put on different masks, so we might receive a
warning to be careful and not let ourselves fooled by the master of pretence in the play. In the
work called Shakespeare. The Movie II edited by Richard Burn and Lynda E. Boose, it is
suggested that the black man hiding behind a white mask is an in-joke for an Othello in
which a black star [Lawrence Fishburne] plays a white man (Hodgdon 90). Moreover,
these two powerful contrasts between black and white and between mask and reality are
present throughout the play which is filled with contrasts. After seeing this man and his mask
we are following Desdemona to the church where the marriage will take place and see the last
part of the marriage, with the image of the holding hands, one black and one white, that will
follow us until the end of the movie. But we soon find out that we are not the only ones
taking a peek at the newly wedded, Roderigo and Iago also watch them and Iagos voice in
which lies his power of manipulation, starts gaining control. Just like he is now behind the

wall and window of the church, Iago will shadow the relationship of the two during the entire
play. It is now that the Iago and Roderigo have the conversation placed in the beginning of its
play by Shakespeare. Thus, we notice that Parker, through this beginning of the movie,
creates a smoother introduction into the play, allows the audience to see with their own eyes
that the marriage between Othello and Desdemona really has taken place, and gives away a
lot of hints about some characters of the movie and about the development of the action.
OTHELLO
Something very important about this movie, which makes it unique, is its manner of
portraying Othello. First of all, the part is played by a black actor, Lawrence Fishburne,
which is in itself something revolutionary. Although he was criticized, among others, for his
voice that couples a soft African-American sound to vaguely exotic and foreign intonation
patterns (Hodgdon 90) and does not satisfy the wishes of the critics for an explosive raw
blackness assumed by a racialized unconscious (also being inferior compared to Branaghs
British accent) and was labelled by some a Shakespearean outsider (Hodgdon 90),
Fishburne is a powerful, controlled, self-possessed figure, radiating a quiet, reserved dignity
from a magnificent physical appearance (Hodgdon 90). All these features surface in
Othellos speech held in front of Brabantio and the senators, a speech characterized by
honesty and wisdom. Even if he is the target of attacks, Othello looks very imposing and
dignified and shows a lot of patience and self-control. Unfortunately, as he is being
manipulated by Iago, Othello seems to gradually lose his wisdom and patience and the
roughness and toughness of his physical appearance start to also describe his deeds, as he
goes through a process of involution, becoming violent towards the people that he cares about
most (he slaps Cassio with his sash, holds a sword against Emilias neck, almost drowns Iago
and slaps Desdemona). He also loses his magnificence and is no longer imposing, but he is
weak. Tall, with a vigorous, trained body decorated with piercings and tattoos, Othellos
physical appearance strongly contrasts with the one of his wife, who does not necessarily
look like the prototype of naivety and frailty, and we cannot ignore the sexuality of
Fishburnes body contrasting with Desdemonas purity. Fishburnes appearance is also fit for
a warrior, usually wearing black clothing and having upon him a big sword (e.g. the visits to
Brabantios home, his arrival in Cyprus on a black horse), Othello usually exhales physical
force and the roughness of a warrior through every part of his body, and his initial great
confidence and distinction make whole the picture of a man that Venice depends upon. At
least before being sickened with Iagos poisonous words, the Othello that Parker gives us is
far from being a savage, insignificant, mocked at Moor, his picture of a dignified, imposing,
capable, confident, strong man is far from being racist. But, unfortunately, Othello
unknowingly becomes the slave of his subject (Iago) and this diminished his grandness,
making us wonder if behind the Moors fall there is a sign of racism showing that he is
ultimately an outsider who cannot forget, supress or control his primitive side. This makes the
audience doubt his initial grandness, maybe it was just the white mask which allowed him to
fit it but which, sooner or later, falls, letting us see his weakness and savagery. A powerful
scene, proof of Iagos control over the Moor, is a scene which takes place in a setting skilfully

selected by Parker- a sort of dark prison. Here, among the captives with confined hands, Iago
continues to poison Othello with lies about the adulterous deed of Desdemona. Othello seems
to be having an epileptic fit and Iago watches him passively and in the meantime even takes
the time to deliver the audience a speech about credulous men. When Othello comes back to
his senses, Iago convinces him to hide in a cell so as to hear the talk between him and Cassio
about Desdemona and their betrayal, so the Moor is manipulated but closes himself in a
prison of intoxicating thoughts and visions. On the other hand, the cell can represents Iagos
manipulative words and his evilness that have entrapped not only Othello, but the destinies of
many other persons present in this infected universe, and this entrapment in the cell of Iagos
poisonous words numbs the Moors senses and instincts, preventing him to hear and
understand what Iago and Cassio are talking about, just like it numbed the senses and
instincts of many others, blinded by his apparent honesty and affection. Maybe this cell, is the
cell from where Othello later sets loose his anger and revenge- Arise, black vengeance, from
thy hollow cell. (Shakespeare 124) - during another scene which is not in the original text,
the scene of the oath sealed with blood between Iago and Othello, which looks like a version
of Faustian bargain (Coursen 98).
IAGO
A character with great power and influence in Shakespeares text, Iago is played in the
1995 version of Othello, by the well-known and well-acquainted with the Shakespearean
dramas and its heroes Kenneth Branagh, who looks like a respectable, wise, trustworthy man
and thus is remarkably good at fooling not only the other characters, but also the audience.
Iago warns us from the very beginning that pretence is his defining feature (1.1.63 I am not
what I am (Shakespeare 8)), but we still tend to be less harsh judges of him. In the movie,
the causes of his hate towards Othello (the disappointment and sadness of not being
appointed lieutenant and the suspicion that the Moor has slept with his wife) seem to be of
even a lesser importance than in the book, as we see him simulating sadness, love, or pity
when he actually looks like hes mocking at others, being indifferent to or even disgusted
with their misery (e.g. Roderigo who is merely the money in his purse for Iago, and who
actually willingly gives him money in the movie after the two wake Brabantio up to warn him
about the old black ram [...] tupping his white ewe (Shakespeare 10), and after Iago
convinces Roderigo not to drown himself by coming up with a new wicked plan). But what
struck me the most was Iagos way of crossing the boundaries set by a movie, of diminishing
the distance between him and the audience, by looking straight into the camera, straight into
the eyes of the audience and divulge with such nonchalance his plans, turning his audience
into a group accomplices, who are obviously supposed to admire his wit and cunning, not
judge him. It is like we are forced to side with this man who defies even the rules of a movie
in which is he nothing more than a fictional character, by seeming to be able to escape
outside its limits, by appearing to be dual, made of what we see and what the others see. The
mystery of Iago remains hanging heavily upon the entire movie, but the director does seem to
try to hint at his devilishness in an interesting scene, not part of the play, when Iago grabs a
smoking torch burning his hands which he then dirties with soot, like he has dirtied

Desdemonas reputation and the entire universe of the play through his presence. Perhaps this
is a hint that Iago, who seems to be enjoying himself touching the torch and soot and feeling
the heat burning his hands, is a devil and has come from the hell that the heat, fire and soot
remind us of. Parkers Iago is indeed the puppeteer in the movie, the man who is enjoying
himself moving the pieces in his game of chess.

THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN- POWER&WEAKNESS

Another important aspect of this film is the way women are represented in it. Neither
Desdemona, nor Emilia is the archetypal beautiful, blond, insignificant woman, who is
extremely obedient but who is seen rather as an object, an ornament or a trinket than as a
human being. The two wives show that they are intelligent and wise, and they start claiming a
place closer two men that women deserve: Let husbands know/ Their wives have sense like
them. They see and smell/ And have their palates both for sweet and sour, / As husbands
have. (Shakespeare 173). Desdemonas firmness with the Senate, fondness for Othello and
feistiness when accused, make her a suitable match for Fishburnes Othello, she is a woman
who struggles to save her life (Tatspaugh 155), a struggle that we do not find in the play.
Desdemonas power also lies in her enchanting body and sexuality, in the caresses that have
tamed the Moor, in her hypnotic, bewitching dance introduced by Parker. Emilia, on the
other hand, is the woman who stands against her husband and against her master and also the
voice of truth. Even if both women end up death because of Iago, the hidden evil director of
the play, Parker gives them voice to support the position of women inside the family and the
society.
PASSION AND ROMANCE
I wanted to reinvest the tragedy with passion and romance, because without romance
there is no real tragedy. This is the purpose that Parker claims to have had in mind when
directing Othello, and indeed, he introduces a lot of passionate scenes in the film, but does he
have in mind passion or simply wants to include sex just to sell and ease his way to success?
Desdemonas kisses and caresses, her dance, the tears of the two newly wedded and maybe,
partly, the intimate scene between them seem to be proof that passion and romance are
present in the movie, but there are other things that go against this statement. Maybe because
of having the physical aspect of a warrior, Othello, during the intimate scene between the
two, seems to be more physical than romantic and looks as if he is hunting Desdemona like
an innocent, helpless pray which he then devours. In the intimate relations (not in the original
text) between Iago and Emilia and between Cassio and Bianca (who is, interestingly enough,
a mulatto) sex is like an exchange. Emilia looks like shes buying it with the handkerchief
and the whole scene shows us an insensitive, violent and indifferent Iago, while Bianca is
paid for her services and although she gives signs of affection, Cassio only sees her as an
object which fulfils his desires. All in all, passion and romance are only clear and obvious in
the misery and tears of Othello and Desdemona, in their desperation of losing love.

THE POWER OF VIDEO

An interesting technique which speaks a lot about the progress of the modern society,
is the employment of flashbacks, which feed the need of the members of the audience to see
things, to have others put into pictures what is happening, without them making any effort of
imagining. Flashbacks are used when Othello tells the senators about the visits that he made
to Brabantio and the ways he conquered Desdemona, and Othello himself becomes a slave of
the tormenting flashbacks of Cassio and Desdemona dancing and exchanging smiles and of
Brabantios warning that his daughter might deceive him just like she deceived his father.
Powerful and tormenting videos are also the nightmares and visions that Othello has with
Desdemona and Cassio together, committing adultery and laughing in his face. I seems that
Parker decides to feed the audiences addiction for videos.
ENDING
Last but not least, the ending also confers uniqueness to Olivier Parkers Othello. The
killing of Desdemona is a very powerful scene and Othello is portrayed by the director as
performing a ritual which Shakespeare does not describe. Othello comes, wearing a white
shawl powerfully contrasting with his blackness and with his intentions, he leaves only two
lights to put out (a candle and Desdemonas life), he carefully cleans his face and head even
though he looks anything but clean next to the white sheets between which Desdemona sleeps
in her white apparel. Othello fails to see this contrast between black and white and ignores all
the signs that point to her innocence and purity. This contrast that has haunted us during the
entire film is at its peak in the struggle between the two, a struggle that disturbs Othellos
ritual, when Parker turns Desdemona into a fighter for her life, a struggle that ends with the
image of the girls white powerless hands on his black faces as life drains away from her. The
director also leaves out Desdemonas attempt to hide Othellos hideous crime when Emilia
comes, in the movie she is silent and merely stares at him, she doesnt utter the famous
Nobody. I myself. Farewell. (Shakespeare 190). Another strong image that the director
decides to show us is that of Iago, crawling to the bed where Desdemona, Othello and Emilia
lie dead, after he has been hurt by Othello. Does he want to admire his masterpiece or is he
giving a sign of weakness? As always, we never find out anything about Iago, we cannot see
behind his indifference which sometimes looks like mockery and he decides not to say
anything anymore and leave the suspense hanging over the entire play. In the end, the three
bodies are thrown into the sea, just like Iago had thrown in the sea the black king and white
queen that were on his chess-board. Was is all just a game of chess?
WORKS CITED
Coursen, H.R. Shakespeare Translated. Derivatives on Film and TV. New York: Peter Long
Publishing, 2005.
Hodgon, Barbara. Race-ing Othello, Re-engendering White-Out, II. Shakespeare. The
Movie II. Ed. Richard Burn and Lynda E. Boose. New York: Routledge, 2004. 89-104

Shakespeare, William. Othello. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.

Tatspaugh, Patricia. The Tragedies of Love on Film. The Cambridge Companion to
Shakespeare on Film. 2nd ed. Ed. Russell Jackson. New York: Cambridge University
Press, 2007. 141-166