| Orson Welles' acclaimed 1952 version of the Shakespeare tragedy has
itself a tragic history. A brilliant cinematic interpretation of the
Moor's tale willed into existance by one of cinema's great masters,
Othello's production was hampered by a host of difficulties and
limited resources. Compounding the problem was the loss of
high-quality prints and negatives shortly after its initial
release. While a fully restored print was released to critical acclaim
in 1992, veiwers have been unable to see Welles' original version as
it appeared at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival--where it won the Palme
d'Or--until now, with Criterion's special edition.
Supplements on the special edition include:
- new transfer supervised by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and Maria Palazzola
- screen-specific commentary by Bogdanovich and documentary
filmmaker/Welles scholar
Myron Meisel
- Excerpts from Filming Othello, the 1979 documentary in which
Welles discusses the production
of the film
- Return to Glennascaul, an Academy Award-nominated short film
made by Micheal Mac Liammoir
(Iago) and Hilton Edwards (Brabanito) during one of the many production
hiatuses of Othello.
- Outtakes from the Italian documentary Rosabella, including
interviews with the cast and crew
of Othello.
- Comparison of other screen Othellos, with commentary by Russ Lees
In Depth |
Index of Films
|
Italy drama
1952
bw 92 min.
