You'd think in 1965, after the risen careers of James Edwards, Juano Hernandez, Harry Belafonte, Woody Strode, and Brock Peters, and after Sidney Poitier won an Academy Award for Best Actor, the first film adaptation of Othello wouldn't include a sickening performance in blackface. Laurence Olivier could have taken the role of Iago, who is arguably the lead, and let someone else who wouldn't wear an appalling shade of body makeup take the title character. Instead, he gave a very offensive performance as Othello, from endless eye-rolls, loud wailing, and throwing his hands wildly over his head during emotional outbursts, to his altered gait and lascivious giggle whenever Desdemona is near.
You'd also think in 1965, with Technicolor, CinemaScope, and other advancements, director Stuart Burge would come up with something interesting to do with the camera or set design. When you watch this movie, it's as if you've bought a ticket to a play. Boring, with laughably cheap production values, and with actors who seem as though they're bored by the ten thousandth time they've spoken their lines, there's really only one reason to watch this version: young Maggie Smith. Desdemona is not one of the great roles actresses covet because she's given hardly anything to do, but Maggie does look very pretty, and her sweet youthful delivery is so different than her iconic persona nowadays, it's fun to see. Just try to find a few minutes of her screen time, though; you don't have to sit through nearly three hours of this one. Stick with one of the remakes.
You'd also think in 1965, with Technicolor, CinemaScope, and other advancements, director Stuart Burge would come up with something interesting to do with the camera or set design. When you watch this movie, it's as if you've bought a ticket to a play. Boring, with laughably cheap production values, and with actors who seem as though they're bored by the ten thousandth time they've spoken their lines, there's really only one reason to watch this version: young Maggie Smith. Desdemona is not one of the great roles actresses covet because she's given hardly anything to do, but Maggie does look very pretty, and her sweet youthful delivery is so different than her iconic persona nowadays, it's fun to see. Just try to find a few minutes of her screen time, though; you don't have to sit through nearly three hours of this one. Stick with one of the remakes.