It must've been Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" (1996) that set off the trend in the late 1990s and early 2000s of modernized teenage Shakespeare adaptations, including ones unlike "Romeo and Juliet" that weren't originally teen-oriented, although there were also earlier examples, such as "West Side Story" (1961). This "Othello" stars an already-established veteran of the subgenre, Julia Stiles, also of "The Taming of the Shrew" reworking "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999) and "Hamlet" (2000). Also promising is that behind the camera is a director better known for acting, Tim Blake Nelson, who was fresh off of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000), which was a clever Depression-era American South reworking of another piece of classic literature, Homer's "Odyssey" and by way of a classic film, "Sullivan's Travels" (1941). Reportedly, too, classics-major Nelson was the only one on set who'd actually read Homer. So, there'd seem to be a good pedigree here, if little else, although "O" may've been filmed before some of these other productions, as its release was prevented for a couple years by Miramax after the Columbine massacre and until lawsuits and a distributor change finally saw it arrive in theatres.
That was the end of the 1990s tendency of moralists and politicians to blame real-world violence on media fiction for you, to the point that even Shakespeare got caught in the middle of it. I'm none too interested, however, in an examination such as of the Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus that obliviously summarizes the film as, "well-intentioned and serious in its exploration of teen violence," without even mentioning that it's bloody Shakespeare. (Besides, one may read articles such as "Shakespeare after Columbine" by Gregory M. Colón Semenza, for that.) Evaluating media primarily for providing positive moral lessons is merely the flip side of lambasting them for inciting bad behavior. I'd hope the bard would be more interesting than that--what with being the most acclaimed writing in the history of the English language an' all.
A more intriguing premise that happens to also have some supposed social relevance is how the film modernizes and relocates race in "Othello." The play is unique in that its eponymous character is a "Moor." Moreover, he and his relationship to the white Desdemona are of curiosity within the story. All of that takes on new meaning in moving the play to then-present South Carolina and casting an African-American, Mekhi Phifer, in the role. Not so much for whatever may be deciphered as pertaining to socio-political reality, but rather for what it says about the performative nature of race. It was only a few years prior that Laurence Fishburne was credited as the first African American in the part in a major studio production for the silver screen. Before that it was the likes of Emil Jannings, Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier in some variation of blackface or bronzing.
In addition to the rap soundtrack, underscoring this is that this Othello, renamed Odin, plays basketball for an otherwise-all-white prep school. The "O" title, besides neatly representing "Othello" and "Odin," and more provocatively alluding to Odin James's initials of "O. J.," also reflects the shape of the ball and hoop and the Os in the Xs-and-Os of the game plays here. And, kudos, for actually showing plays. I've seen a bunch of basketball films lately, and that's too uncommon. The mix of crane shots and handheld camerawork in the games is also somewhat novel. The same can't be said, however, for an elite prep school recruiting black ballplayers. It's the premise of "Hoop Dreams" (1994), and seeing mostly-white schools diversely represented on the hardwood is hardly a rare sight. Maybe a sport less dominated by African Americans and where they aren't heavily recruited would've worked better, although that'd inevitably mean a more boring game--something akin to the real-world phenomenon of Tiger Woods, perhaps. Nevertheless, sports provide here the first play-within-the-play, a reflexive device oft traced back to Shakespeare. A more subtle meta allusion than the scene of the English classroom discussion of "Macbeth" where it's suggested Shakespeare writes movies.
Not counting the brief "Macbeth" reference, the other play-within-the-play that is the film revolves around the mixed-race engagement of Phifer's Odin and Stiles's Desi. Not much, either, is made of this in itself beyond kidding about what words may be used and debating rape allegations, which is rather disappointing considering that Stiles also starred in the similar-in-this-respect "Save the Last Dance" (2001). But, it does provide the second play to be directed, or coached, by words. The father-coach Duke played by Martin Sheen directing the play on the court, and the jealous son Iago/Hugo played by Josh Hartnett manipulating the play off the court--and with the goal of affecting the other play by undermining Odin's vaunted status as the team's star athlete. It's befitting considering one of the first such screen adaptations, "Desdemona" (1911) performed Shakespeare's play as the play-within-the-play of the actors reflexively enacting a similar tale of jealousy off stage.
The drug stuff here is an unfortunate inclusion, though, having the feel of an after-school special detracting from the central importance of locution in Shakespeare. It's only a step away from Jessie from "Saved by the Bell," hopped up on caffeine pills, singing about how she's "so excited." You don't become renowned for over 400 years by warning of the dangers of transient hot-button issues like that. Besides, this already was late to the cocaine party and is rather of no time as regards the relative non-existence of doping scandals in basketball. The bird symbolism is more effective. It goes to show, however, that this is a teenage Shakespeare adaptation. Less teenage exploitation and more mature focus on what Shakespeare wrote would've been preferable, but "O" has its highlights and even some of its failings are interesting. When "Romeo and Juliet" is even turned into a zombie, young-adult-fiction flick, "Warm Bodies" (2013), there's certainly worse "Shakesploitation" out there.
That was the end of the 1990s tendency of moralists and politicians to blame real-world violence on media fiction for you, to the point that even Shakespeare got caught in the middle of it. I'm none too interested, however, in an examination such as of the Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus that obliviously summarizes the film as, "well-intentioned and serious in its exploration of teen violence," without even mentioning that it's bloody Shakespeare. (Besides, one may read articles such as "Shakespeare after Columbine" by Gregory M. Colón Semenza, for that.) Evaluating media primarily for providing positive moral lessons is merely the flip side of lambasting them for inciting bad behavior. I'd hope the bard would be more interesting than that--what with being the most acclaimed writing in the history of the English language an' all.
A more intriguing premise that happens to also have some supposed social relevance is how the film modernizes and relocates race in "Othello." The play is unique in that its eponymous character is a "Moor." Moreover, he and his relationship to the white Desdemona are of curiosity within the story. All of that takes on new meaning in moving the play to then-present South Carolina and casting an African-American, Mekhi Phifer, in the role. Not so much for whatever may be deciphered as pertaining to socio-political reality, but rather for what it says about the performative nature of race. It was only a few years prior that Laurence Fishburne was credited as the first African American in the part in a major studio production for the silver screen. Before that it was the likes of Emil Jannings, Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier in some variation of blackface or bronzing.
In addition to the rap soundtrack, underscoring this is that this Othello, renamed Odin, plays basketball for an otherwise-all-white prep school. The "O" title, besides neatly representing "Othello" and "Odin," and more provocatively alluding to Odin James's initials of "O. J.," also reflects the shape of the ball and hoop and the Os in the Xs-and-Os of the game plays here. And, kudos, for actually showing plays. I've seen a bunch of basketball films lately, and that's too uncommon. The mix of crane shots and handheld camerawork in the games is also somewhat novel. The same can't be said, however, for an elite prep school recruiting black ballplayers. It's the premise of "Hoop Dreams" (1994), and seeing mostly-white schools diversely represented on the hardwood is hardly a rare sight. Maybe a sport less dominated by African Americans and where they aren't heavily recruited would've worked better, although that'd inevitably mean a more boring game--something akin to the real-world phenomenon of Tiger Woods, perhaps. Nevertheless, sports provide here the first play-within-the-play, a reflexive device oft traced back to Shakespeare. A more subtle meta allusion than the scene of the English classroom discussion of "Macbeth" where it's suggested Shakespeare writes movies.
Not counting the brief "Macbeth" reference, the other play-within-the-play that is the film revolves around the mixed-race engagement of Phifer's Odin and Stiles's Desi. Not much, either, is made of this in itself beyond kidding about what words may be used and debating rape allegations, which is rather disappointing considering that Stiles also starred in the similar-in-this-respect "Save the Last Dance" (2001). But, it does provide the second play to be directed, or coached, by words. The father-coach Duke played by Martin Sheen directing the play on the court, and the jealous son Iago/Hugo played by Josh Hartnett manipulating the play off the court--and with the goal of affecting the other play by undermining Odin's vaunted status as the team's star athlete. It's befitting considering one of the first such screen adaptations, "Desdemona" (1911) performed Shakespeare's play as the play-within-the-play of the actors reflexively enacting a similar tale of jealousy off stage.
The drug stuff here is an unfortunate inclusion, though, having the feel of an after-school special detracting from the central importance of locution in Shakespeare. It's only a step away from Jessie from "Saved by the Bell," hopped up on caffeine pills, singing about how she's "so excited." You don't become renowned for over 400 years by warning of the dangers of transient hot-button issues like that. Besides, this already was late to the cocaine party and is rather of no time as regards the relative non-existence of doping scandals in basketball. The bird symbolism is more effective. It goes to show, however, that this is a teenage Shakespeare adaptation. Less teenage exploitation and more mature focus on what Shakespeare wrote would've been preferable, but "O" has its highlights and even some of its failings are interesting. When "Romeo and Juliet" is even turned into a zombie, young-adult-fiction flick, "Warm Bodies" (2013), there's certainly worse "Shakesploitation" out there.