Othello Movie Comparison

The film “O” produced in 2001 is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The movie was both filmed and is centered around Charleston, South Carolina. The movie follows the downfall of Odin James (Othello) a revered high school basketball player who is made to believe by his best friend Hugo Golding (Iago) that his girlfriend Desi (Desdemona) is cheating on him with fellow teammate Michael Cassio (Cassio). Like the original play it focuses on themes like sexuality, deception, betrayal, and murder. However, it includes themes of race and substance abuse in order to modernize it as well as bring in relevant issues.

The fact that the main character Odin is black emphasizes the theme of race. There are multiple comments throughout

the movie about him being the only black person in the entire school. The movie is also set during a time when race was still a dividing factor in many cities. This defers from the play because Othello is different because he is a moor. They judge him less on the color of his skin and more on his religion and his culture. They make it a more racial issue in the film to make it more apt for modern viewers. Another important theme added was that of substance abuse. In American society there is a big culture of teen drinking and drug abuse that was becoming even more prominent during this time period. Three of the main characters’ battle with different substance problems throughout the movie. Hugo is the first seen to be seen doing steroids to improve his game and become better than Odin. Then we see Michael get in a fight with Rodger because he is drunk. Finally, we see Odin take some drug before the dunk contest and then do a line of cocaine with Hugo. The theme of sexuality is found in both versions but in distinct ways. The main difference is that the couples are not married as they are in the original adaptation. This is because it would be unrealistic for high schoolers in the 21st century to be married as well as most of their original counterparts are much older. Like in the original the characters are having sex but in a more casual and secretive manner as they are not married. They are also under the jurisdiction of their parents and their teachers making everything harder for them.
The casting for the film was a very important component. It was through the casting that they established some of the themes as well as the atmosphere. The fact that Odin is black plays with the theme of race. He is the only black person both on the team and in the school and he feels like because of that others look at him differently. Also when the basketball team plays against other teams in South Carolina you see a racial divide as well because the other team is mostly black. It is also important to know that there is not an actual duke that presides and rules over everyone. The duke character in the film is actually the basketball coach and Hugo’s dad. The other difference is that in the play the duke ranks over Desdemona’s father while in the film it’s the other way around. Duke Golding (Duke) is only the school’s basketball coach while Bob Brable (Brabantio) is the dean of the school. The fact that they made all of the main characters teenagers also had a profound effect on the feel of the film. Because they were all teenagers they don’t understand some of the consequences for their actions as well as an adult might. It didn’t necessarily change the outcome as the film and the play end in the same way but, it did shift the way that some of the things transpired.
The language in the adaptation is modernized as it is set in the 21st century. This is unlike some other Shakespeare adaptations like Romeo & Juliet that are set in modern time but keep the language the same. I think the language is change so that it can better fit the differing setting and feel of the film. Romeo & Juliet is a lot more similar to the original play then O is with Othello. That makes it more essential to modernize the language. Besides modernizing it they add slang to match the setting and theme. Odin uses a lot of slang to further the view that he is black and to separate him from everyone else. The language is also changed because the film centers around basketball and school as opposed to the fighting and war like in the play.
Compared to the original play some of the characters’ motives have shifted. Hugo for example unlike Iago does not lust for Desi and does not think that his girlfriend slept with Odin. Hugo also has family issues with his father that contributes to his hatred towards Odin and Michael. He sees that his own dad passed him up for MVP and at the ceremony says that Odin is like his own son. Then to make matters worse Odin picks Michael over him to come up on stage with him sending him over the edge. At the end of the movie we also see that Hugo above everything else wants to be noticed and regarded by everyone the way Odin is. Rodger like Rodrigo has the ultimate goal to get Desi. However, his other motive is the way he is bullied by most of the school especially Odin and Michael. He wants to see their downfall as well for the way they’ve treated him. Roderigo on the other hand has no real issue with Othello besides that fact that he stole Desdemona from him and goes with Iago’s plans a little more reluctantly.
Being that the film is a freer adaptation to Othello with big changes in setting and time period there are many changes in the scenes.

The biggest change are the basketball games that are added throughout the movie. This is in replacement of the talk and show of war that is present in the original Othello. One scene that is changed is the confrontation between Desi, Odin, Duke, and her father. In this scene it is only them present in her father’s office and her father is the person in the place of power. This defers from the same scene in Othello that takes place in front of an audience and the Duke is the person in power. Another scene that is added is the use of birds throughput the film. They are seen in both the opening and closing scene as well as throughout the film. These were added to go with the idea that Hugo wanted to fly and be a hawk like Odin. One of the most important scene changes is the ending. At the end of play, Othello realizes everything was a lie orchestrated by Iago and kills himself next to his dead wife and in front of the officers while Iago is arrested. In the film however Odin shoots himself in front of a bunch of his classmate downstairs nowhere near the bedroom where Desi lies dead. Also his final words to cement the theme of race depicted throughout the film. He explains how it was the preppy white boy made him go crazy. It wasn’t because he was black or because he was violent or a gang banger. The house is surround by both cops and reporters which show how Hugo finally got what he wanted which was to be

noticed.