The first Shakespearean adaptation into film that will be dealt in this article is Welles' Othello, released in 1952. Welles himself plays the role of Othello and Michéal MacLimmóir plays Iago. Liana de Camargo Leão in the article entitled Shakespeare no cinema mentions that the shooting of the film started in 1948, but due
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to extensive intervals it would only be finished five years later. She also highlights the fact that critics complained about some characteristics such as fast-paced editing and lack of lines from the play that were translated into images (LEÃO, 2008, p. 282). On the other hand, Leão states that these same traits were acknowledged as positive features of the film by other critics, along with complements concerning the unusual and creative angles used by Welles (p. 282).
As for Anthony Davies in Filming Shakespeare's plays, Welles' Othello has achieved a distinctive place in adaptations of Shakespeare's works into film:
The techniques of Othello are considerably more refined. The theatricality of constructed décor gives way to the realism of sea and sky, and to the architectural polarities of Venice and Mogador. For the first time (...) we are faced with a film which aims at reconciling theatrical drama with the realism of non-theatrical spatial elements.
The sustained insistence with which the film achieves this reconciliation, and its integration or architectural realism not simply as a justification for cinema but as a thematic statement, is the major distinction which distances Welles's Othello from every other major Shakespearean film. (DAVIES, 1994, p. 100)
In 1995, Oliver Parker directed his own film adaptation of Othello.
Leão observes that one of the greatest highlights in the film is the choice of casting (LEÃO, 2008, p. 295). Laurence Fishburn as Othello represents the first African-American actor to play this role in cinema. The well-seasoned actor playing Iago, Kenneth Branagh, demonstrates his familiarity with Shakespearean language and works. Another aspect of this production that Leão mentions is that it was criticized by the cuts on the text, reducing it to its most well known lines (p. 295). There is an ongoing debate among critics and scholars over what could be cut from the Shakespearean playtext, how it should be done, or even if something should be cut. That is a significant issue that screenwriters and film directors have to work with when adapting Shakespeare's works.
In fact, Allan Dessen in Rescripting Shakespeare comments on the decisions of a director in cutting speeches in theatrical adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. He proposes two terms, "rescripting", which "denotes the changes made by a director in the received text in response to a perceived problem or to achieve some agenda" (DESSEN, 2009, p. 3), and "rewrighting" (p. 3), a term used when "a director or adapter moves closer to the role of the playwright so as to fashion a script with substantial differences from the original" (p. 3).
Before beginning the comparative analysis, it is most compelling to examine the significance of the character Iago in the play. It seems almost impossible not to mention the fact that Iago in some ways shadows the importance of other
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characters in Othello. Edna Ligieri in Shakespeare, Otelo, anjos e demônios, gives the idea that among the three main characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Desdemona, it is Iago who stands out in the story. In Ligieri’s own words: "A tragédia é de Otelo, mas a peça é de Iago"4 (LIGIERI, 2003, p. 97). Ligieri continues by emphasizing the importance of the character when she claims that Iago is the one who plots and all the rest of the characters only respond to his schemes and calculations (p. 98). The "honest Iago" in all his villainy has captured people's attention perhaps more than it was expected.
Although Iago defines himself as a man with battlefield experience, he manipulates other characters in the play through the power of rhetoric. Depending on the character that he is having an interaction with and the moment that he is approaching them, he speaks as a dear friend that has good advice to share, he comforts others in despair, and he silences when the situation itself favors his plans. Iago apparently has also the power of influencing dangerous habits, as he did with Cassio when convincing the latter to drink wine during the watch, even though Cassio warns Iago about his drinking problems. Also Roderigo, persuaded by Iago, puts himself in a dangerous position when he engages in a fight with Cassio on the island of Cyprus. Iago has turned himself into a master of controlling conversations. It is Iago's power and ability of convincing other characters that will be observed in the comparative analysis of one scene in Welles' Othello and Parker's Othello.
The main theme of both film scenes is the process of persuasion started by Iago concerning the characters Roderigo and Cassio, which can be observed in Act 2, scenes 1 and 3 of the play. In both movies, the conversation is initiated with Iago and Roderigo when the former tries to convince the latter to provoke Cassio and, as a consequence, to cause a kind of turmoil or fight. By using his manipulative skills, Iago supplies Roderigo with convincing arguments that touch his weakness in relation to his devotion to Desdemona. By implying that Desdemona is in love with Cassio and that they have some sort of relationship, Iago convinces Roderigo that he must act to prevent this situation. Iago's next move is to convince Cassio to drink with him and take advantage of the fact that the lieutenant has a weak constitution when it comes to alcohol. Cassio gives in and Iago succeeds in the early schemes of his overall plan to get the lieutenant demoted.
One of the most fascinating aspects of human creativity is to be able to recreate the same plot but with completely different characteristics and visual features. Welles and Parker managed to do that in the aforementioned film scenes by highlighting different aspects of the characters and using distinct cinematic techniques.
Welles' scene is unique in its use of cinematography, while Parker's version relies on character interaction and setting.
4 It is Othello’s tragedy, but the play belongs to Iago. The translation into English was provided by the authors of this article.
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