Othello. 1995. USA/Great Britain. Directed by Oliver Parker. Screenplay by Parker, based on Othello by William Shakespeare. With Laurence Fishburne, Kenneth Branagh, Irène Jacob. 123 min.
One of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedies deals with issues we still grapple with today. Othello is essentially a love triangle—between the titular general, his wife Desdemona, and his trusted lieutenant Iago—in which love, jealously, racism, betrayal, and revenge all play out in Venice. The friction between Othello (Fishburne) and Iago (Branagh) will leave you wondering which of them is truly the villain.