I recently watched the kino-Lorber release of "Variety" (1925). On the same Blu-Ray as an extra is "Othello" (1922) with Emil Jannings, Werner Krauss, Ica von Lenkeffy, Theodor Loos, Ferdinand von Alten, Lya de Putti, Magnus Stifter, and Friedrich Kühne. Although I watched this on VHS years ago, I'd forgotten nearly everything about it. Although many on the IMDb think that this version is outstanding, I found it unsatisfying. The first third of the film is simply pedestrian, and the version on the Blu-Ray has English intertitles that in some instances are absolutely ridiculous, and one in particular is nearly nonsense. The next third of the film picks up in direction and action and begins to be a tad more like its origin, Mr. Shakespeare. The last third plays out the play as it is written, but...and this is what I found most disappointing...at a seventh grade level. The quality of the scenario as compared to the play is third rate. And Emil Jannings...one of the world's greatest actors of the early twentieth century and one of my own favorites to watch in silent film...I thought if he bulged those eyes out any more they'd pop! I'm sitting here eating a salad as I write this, and a couple of jumbo pimento stuffed olives are looking directly at me, and I can't eat them now because all I see is Emil Jannings' bulging eyes. Now I can't finish my salad. Sorry, but I have said before: I think the greatest male performance I've ever watched on film was Laurence Olivier's "Othello" from 1965. He far, far, far surpassed Jannings. Period.
