Noble Moroccan Othello finds his life with beautiful, fiercely loyal Desdemona thrown tragically out of balance when secretly jealous, scheming confidante Iago begins an insidious campaign of lies and treachery.
Acting
McKellen's Iago: charming, hilarious, absolutely terrifying.
Direction
Nunn's intimate staging makes 200+ minutes feel claustrophobic.
Production
Minimalist design lets language and faces do everything.
Director
Trevor Nunn
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This began as a Royal Shakespeare Company production; the film was shot in just 17 days with the original stage cast, essentially preserving a live theatrical run.
Willard White, a celebrated opera singer, made his dramatic acting debut here—his bass-baritone voice gives Othello an unexpected musicality that underscores his outsider status among Venice's political class.
GB
