Othello (U)

Filming Shakespeare's tragedy of betrayals real and imagined was a labour of love for Orson Welles. Put together over four years - - Welles would shut down production while he took acting jobs to pay for it - - this ought to be a disjointed mess. Instead, it's a brilliantly improvised mix of fast cuts, stark black-and-white photography and dizzying camera angles that took the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Welles himself excels as the doomed Moor driven by jealousy to murder and madness.

DVD Extras:

While the documentary recounting the $1 million 1992 restoration process is fascinating, there's too little here on Welles' own trials and tribulations during filming. Return To Glennascaul, a spooky short starring Welles and introduced by Peter Bogdanovich, is a minor addition to the Orson canon but is still worth a look - - as is the restored version of his 1948 Macbeth, also out this month.

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