In Your Opinion, Which Film Represents The Action And Mood Of The Final Scene Of ?Othello? Most Effe Essay, Research Paper

Shakespeare plays have always had wide appeal; one of the

reasons for this is that many different versions have been produced and the

themes do not date. The most well known are probably the Hollywood adaptations,

and it is this film about ?Othello? that I am going to talk about first.The Hollywood

version is much better because, understandably, the producer, Oliver Parker,

had a much higher budget. This means that, in this particular instance, he had

the money to achieve more effects and a better result. This in turn would have

made it much more popular. It was very good and it is obvious that it is a

Hollywood film. The language has been slightly modernised to increase our

understanding and enjoyment of the film. As Hollywood can afford to advertise

well, lots more people know that it has been produced. Without this, not many

people would know about it. ??????????? The

two films that I have seen are the Carlton TV and Hollywood versions. The

latter was a more stylised production. For example: Desdemona was the dutiful,

quiet young lady, rather than reacting to Othello?s proposal of killing her.

The film has a different ending to that of the book. This is done to conclude

the film and so any queries that the audience had have been answered, this is

in contrast to the book, which leaves the end slightly ambiguous if you don?t

read on after the text has finished. It is slightly different from the book

throughout; the producer has added the elements that he feels a Hollywood film

needs. ??????????? Trevor

Nunn produced the Carlton TV film. Since this film is only on Carlton, it is

very unlikely that very many people would watch it. This film is much more ?as

it was? in the play. The original language is used throughout. This film is

true to Shakespeare and it is probably closer to how he would have wanted it

portrayed. ??????????? Shakespeare

has been shown in film, on TV and on stage. Film is very different from the

latter two. For starters films have a much larger budget. This means that

better setting and lighting equipment can be used. Better quality costumes can

be afforded and more sound effects are available. You can see emotions close-up

by zooming into people?s faces. Actions can be slowed down by the use of

dubbing if needed. Words can be clearly heard and exaggerated if necessary. ??????????? On

the stage words have to be said clearly, loudly and have to be concise. Movements

have to be really exaggerated for the meaning to be got across to the audience.

The use of music is brought in a lot and lighting effects are very much relied

on; especially for very calm scenes. ??????????? Although

the budget for television films is much lower, the producers try to use the

effects used for major films, even though it may not be as effective. ??????????? Overall,

just by looking at this I would say that cinematic films are much better.There are really only two

characters that differ greatly between the films. These are Desdemona and

Emilia. In the Carlton TV Emilia is very vicious and protective of Desdemona.

She makes it well known that she really is NOT happy about what Othello has

done. She lunges for Othello at one point. She is very irrational and she

doesn?t listen to Othello. Desdemona is also quite irrational. She is not the

?perfect? wife that the audience is led to believe she is. She runs screaming

around the room and off the bed. ??????????? In

the Hollywood film Emilia is very different. She is not as loud. She

still gets very upset about Desdemona?s death. The main difference in this

version is that she is forgotten about. She falls off the bed and is almost

instantly forgotten. Her death is not really noticeable. Whereas in the other

film a big thing is made of it and she dies next to Desdemona. Here, even when

she is being killed the focus is still on Othello and his mental state.

Desdemona is much quieter in this film. She does not react very much to

Othello?s threat. She seems to believe right to the end that if she is quiet he

will let her go. She stays on the bed framed by white showing angelic nature

and her innocence. This image is absent in the Carlton TV. These differences

are here as the Hollywood producers feel this is how the film should be. At the

end of the day Trevor Nunn seems to want to get across the point of the play

and stay true to the original play, whereas Oliver Parker wants to sell a film

that is going to be popular. ??????????? The

main use of mise-en-scene is with the candle. It tells the story of Desdemona.

At the beginning of the last scene the candle is very bright. We do not really

see the candle again until both Desdemona and Othello are dead. It shows that

the light (their life) is gone. During the scene gradually the candle dies

down. Showing her life dying out and disappearing. ??????????? In

the Carlton TV film there is a lot of editing in the camera work. One minute

the camera is on one side of the bed and the next minute it is the other. This

is used throughout the scene. In the Hollywood film, the camera follows people

around. ??????????? The bed is the main object in

both versions. It is used a lot in the actions of particular characters. When

Desdemona is pleading with Othello in the Hollywood film, a frame of white

drapes surrounds her. This makes her look almost heavenly and innocent. In the

Carlton TV film, the bed is in the middle of the room so it can be walked

around. While the camera is following the characters around the bed, we are

constantly reminded of Desdemona. Who is innocent yet lying dead on the bed. In

the Hollywood film the bed is also climbed over Iago. This also shows

disrespect for Desdemona. ??????????? Another

object that plays a big part in the scene is the candle. As the scene goes on

the candle flame gets smaller. This shows first of all Desdemona?s life fading

and when we see Othello and Desdemona lying together, the candle is out. The

candle is introduced right at the beginning of the scene. Othello is telling

the light to go out. Maybe he wishes that the candle would go out and Desdemona

would die just like that, rather than him having to physically kill her and

blow it out. This is significant as it does go out. ??????????? The

extra characters e.g. not Desdemona, Othello or Emilia, are seen to be all in a

huddle together. This shows that they are NOT in control of the situation. The

only way to look like they are in control is to stand together, this is also to

protect themselves and stay out of harms way. Desdemona being on one of the

main objects in this scene is so that we have a constant reminder of her. This

is done so that we can see that although she is innocent and dead she is at the

centre of the trouble. I feel that the Hollywood film is

more effective. This is because it manages to portray Desdemona?s innocence.

Using the white curtains manages to visibly show this. A dark wall frames

Othello and this clearly shows the evil and insecurity inside him. It also

manages to show Desdemona as the compliant wife we have seen her as throughout

the film. She stays calm in this film whereas in the other she starts

screaming. I think that it is more realistic when she is quiet, like she is in

shock. In this film Desdemona stays on the bed, this shows that she does not

have the physical strength to try and run away from Othello.