Welles also stars as the title character, a Moorish war hero in 16th century Venice. He's happily married to the fair Desdemona (Suzanne Cloutier), but scheming ensign Iago (Michael MacLiammoir) plots to drive Othello mad with jealousy by planting seeds of distrust concerning Desdemona's fidelity.

Welles ran into his usual trouble securing financing, and this was shot piecemeal over time. Despite this difficulty, I found the finished product to be fantastic, and one my favorite Shakespeare adaptations. The endlessly atmospheric B&W cinematography, the unusual for the time editing, the disconcerting score and sound design, the incredible sets and locations, and stellar performances from all involved made this one of the best viewing experiences that I've had in some while. Welles was ahead of his time with the film's look, camera angles, and editing, while exhibiting an old master's knowledge of the use of shadows and perspective to accent scenes and illustrate the inner workings of the characters. The film has a haunted, at-times surreal quality, and most of it is dreamlike without being incoherent.

This movie makes me wonder what Welles could have done with Hamlet. Shakespeare purists may be put off by the judicious editing done to the original work (the 3-hour play is rendered into a 90+ minute movie), but the spirit is maintained. This is the third version of Othello that I've seen filmed, after the 1965 take with Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith and Frank Findlay in the leads, and the 1995 version with Laurence Fishburne, Irene Jacob and Kenneth Branagh. This Welles version is my favorite. Highly recommended.

Othello, Moor of Venice, loves Desdemonda. Unbeknownst to him, one of his lieutenants, Iago, seething with jealousy, plans to bring him down. Iago slowly builds a web of deceit and lies around Othello that leads him to question the faithfulness of his wife and men, ultimately pushing him to far...

Many a time has a white actor portrayed black Othello. Thankfully, Welles excels in the title role, his hurt palpable. In adapting Shakespeare's play, Welles has done away with subplots he deemed unnecessary. His "Othello" boils down to the title character, his wife, Iago and bit players (and impressive numbers of extras). Fans of the text may regret the absence of a character or the significant reduction of his/her importance. It diminishes the play but enhances the film, giving it a tighter focus and a more fluid structure and running time. But as always, we expect more from an Orson Welles film.

Orson Welles is mostly celebrated for reinventing the look of film. His pictures each possess a unique aesthetic and daring camera work. Othello holds its own even when measured against the impressive Welles oeuvre, a true miracle if you are familiar with the films' history. Shooting it over years and in different locations (Morocco, Spain, etc.) with variations, often within the same scene, Welles managed to create the watertight illusion of a coherent world, leading the viewer to imagine that lavish sets and locations were available. For anyone interested in editing or any other aspect of film-making, this is an indisputable milestone in directorial resourcefulness.

Othello was Welles's second Shakespeare interpretation as star and director, soaring high above his very interesting Macbeth. He would return to the Bard one last time with his apotheosis, Chimes at Midnight. This trilogy is a gift. What a joy it is to see America's greatest director work with the world's greatest playwright...

The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor Of Venice was shot over three years, with several occasions when the shooting schedule closed down completely due to lack of funds (actor-director Orson Welles went away during these gaps in filming and made other movies, using his salary from those pictures to complete this one). Logic would suggest that any film made in such a disjointed way would surely be incoherent or at best rather lumpy. After all, if you're making a movie how can you get any sense of fluidity into the action and the acting if you keep stopping what you're doing for lengthy periods of time? Fortuitously Welles, who was an absolute genius of the cinema, somehow manages to pull all the disparate pieces of filming together, sewing three years' worth of interrupted footage into a fine quilt of a movie. For a film with one of the most disrupted production histories ever known, The Tragedy Of Othello: The Moor Of Venice is a quite remarkable achievement.

The film opens with Othello, the Moor of Venice (Orson Welles) being carried to his funeral in Cyprus alongside his beloved wife Desdemona (Suzanne Cloutier). Imprisoned in a cage high above this funeral procession is Othello's lieutenant - and once-trusted friend - Iago (Michael MacLiammoir). In flashback, we learn how Othello and Desdemona died, and why Iago is made to witness their journey to the grave from his undignified cage.

Iago, an ensign reluctantly working under Othello, dreams of having Desdemona for himself. With the help of rich Venetian Roderigo (Robert Coote), he plans to become her suitor. But Iago grows livid when he learns that Desdemona has already courted Othello and is now his wife. Determined to have his revenge, the villainous knave sets about ruining their relationship. He plants seeds of suspicion in Othello's mind and leaves cleverly "staged" circumstantial evidence lying about that will lead the Moor to unpleasant conclusions. Ultimately, Othello finds himself convinced that his wife is a cheating whore, so he kills her. Later he discovers his error and kills himself, but not before Iago's part in the tragedy is exposed and he is imprisoned for his treachery.

Welles the actor gives an impassioned performance as the titular character, while MacLiammoir is equally stunning as his jealous adversary. Welles the director shows tremendous resourcefulness, creating a wholly believable sense of authenticity in the sets and characters despite his limited funds and disrupted shooting schedule. The moody lighting and constantly off-kilter camera angles add to the film's considerable atmosphere. Evidence of this can be found in the famous Turkish Baths sequence, which may have been shot on an improvised set but contains extraordinary tension. The shot of Iago dangling in his miserable little cage above the funeral is also haunting and memorable. Critics have made much of the crackly sound quality and the amateurish playing of the supporting actors, and I must admit there is an element of truth in that. I have never seen the restored version of the film, which allegedly contains more audible sound recording. However, in spite of its flaws The Tragedy Of Othello: The Moor Of Venice is still striking cinema, and testament – if any is needed – that Welles was a master of his art.