In "Encounters with Othello" (a 'cultural context' section in the Bedford edition of the play), Kim Hall reminds us that "other artists and writers over the centuries have tapped into the potential of Shakespeare's Othello...each one approaching the play with concerns provoked by his or her personal history and cultural moment" (342). If we read Tim Blake Nelson's film, O, in that light, it raises the following questions:- How does O "tap into" the potential of Othello?
- In what ways does O speak to its own cultural moment?
Take contemporary racial tensions as an example. In Othello, the title character represents an appropriated "other" (Othello rises to success as a Moor in Venetian society), yet nonetheless reminds audiences of Europe's anxieties over racial, religious, and geographic difference--although he is a Christian and a Venetian, Othello reminds Europeans of their North African Muslim neighbors to the South. Does something similar go on in the film? Is Odin both an appropriation and an anxiety? Are the worries about Odin as multidimensional in this American southern prep school as they are in 16th-century Venice? Or, is something else going on?
In the movie, it is evident that there are racial tensions. Whenever something bad happens or there is some type of consequence, the subject of race (where if he were white, would it be different) comes up. Like when Desi's father stereotypes O as being "dirty" or having a criminal background; a thug. This only shows how much has not change concerning racism. The time in which the movie is in clearly displays the racial stereotypes or norms that that society has created and what many people grow up with. These stereotypical assumptions are engraved in peoples' minds and come out without even thinking.
ReplyDeleteIn "O", Hugo exploits Odin`s status as "the other" when he tries to plant the idea in Odin`s head that Desi has been unfaithful. Hugo tells Odin that he knows that he (Odin) has seen hustlers, but he knows white women and how they act. Because of his outsider status Odin knows Hugo may be right. Hugo chose this area to strike in because he knows it is something Odin is unfamiliar with. Also, social class contributes to Odin`s status as "the other". He attends a private school with predominantly wealthy students, while he was brought there because of his skills as an athlete.
ReplyDeleteAs the movie unfolded, you could easily see the similarities in Othello. The characters in "O" were nearly identical to those in Othello, but the movie changed the settings and story line to something more relative to our time period. The one constant, like Tara and Crystal talked about, was the presence of racism and an "outsider" or "other". Odin (like Othello) was placed in a difficult position because he was watched and judged more carefully than the rest of the students because of his past history and his stereotype. Hugo took advantage of Odin by using their "team bond" and his "knowledge' of white girls to manipulate Odin into question both Desi and his best friend Mike.
ReplyDeleteThe way the movie took Othello and portrayed in a contemporary way was intriguing. Overall I didn't really like it, but there were some interesting parallels. I thought the acting was a little bit phony and I didn't so much like the high school setting. I also thought the birds were a strange add-in until someone in class brought up that there were birds in the play, and therefore were relevant. Unfortunately I did not make it to class Wednesday so I didn't get to see how the movie ended.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting in the film to note the color contrast that the camera seemed to always return to. In the interactions between Desi and Odin, the camera would focus on the contrast of their skin color rather than only their faces as they were talking. This emphasis on black versus white reminded me of the passage within "Othello" of an "old black ram tupping [the] white ewe (I, I, line 90). This passage simplifies the characters of Desdemona and Othello to the status of good and evil. It reflects Desdemona as the pure, good girl while Othello is inferior and aggressive. The film very closely follows these connections by portraying Desi as a meek girl more prone to peace then conflict. Odin, on the other hand, is depicted as animalistic, especially during the rape scene when he resorts to stark brutality. Thus, I think the color contrast being used in the film is a great connection to the play as it incorporates the same inferences of purity versus brutality, but is able to do so in a more direct way.
ReplyDeleteThe character development in "O" actually changed my perception of many of the characters in Othello. Although the situations and people themselves were very similar to the play, there facial expressions, reactions, and timing in the movie created a unique and original experience of the play for me. I found myself sympathizing with Emily (Emilia) more than in the play, and in many respects I was able to understand Hugo's (Iago) anger. Although there were "good guys" and "bad guys" in a sense, the movie added multiple facets to these perspective and the different setting as a whole made the situation more believable to me.
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