Duplicitous Iago misleads credulous Othello about the faithfulness of innocent Desdemona, leading to a typical Shakespearian body count. Welles (in dark-face) is excellent as the noble Moorish general serving Venice, as is Micheál Mac Liammóir as Iago (one of the First Folio's most loathsome yet ambiguous villains). This is the only version of the tragedy that I have seen (film or stage), so I have nothing to which to compare it, but the shadowy, moody black and white cinematography is stunning and the score is excellent.
Review of Othello
Othello
(1951)
Dark and moody rendering of the Bard's great tragedy of deception and jealousy
12 August 2022