Home Theater

Jose J. Santos

Director Tim Blake Nelson’s “O,” available on DVD Tuesday, is a modern

retelling of the classic treatise on love and betrayal “Othello.” William

Shakespeare’s dark Moor is replaced by a tall, dark and handsome hoops

star, and the marble columns of Venice, Italy are replaced by the

historic architecture of the deep South.

Sounds like an interesting idea, right?

That’s all “O” ultimately proves to be.

“O” has all the makings of a relevant revisioning of “Othello,” but

poor character development and flat acting hold back what could be a

great movie.

Mekhi Phifer plays Odin James, a fierce prep school prodigy on the

basketball court. He’s got everything a high school student needs: the

adoration of his coach (Martin Sheen), the respect of his teammates and

most importantly, the love of a blond hottie, Desi (Julia Stiles).

O also has a jealous admirer, his basketball coach’s son Hugo (Josh

Hartnett). Hugo decides he’s tired of O getting all life’s riches, and

devises a way to destroy everything O has loved and worked for.

The plot proceeds to mirror Shakespeare’s tragedy, and even if you

haven’t read “Othello,” you can guess how the story unfolds.

The cast tries to squeeze some life out of the lifeless screenplay,

but the actors lack any sort of passion.

Hartnett, whose been riding a wave of Hollywood buzz recently for his

performances in “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down,” fails to infuse his

unscrupulous character with some much-needed evil zeal. He seems to be

sleepwalking his way through the movie, and as a result, Hugo seems to

lack the required motivation to destroy the lives of those around him.

The two-disc deluxe edition of “O” features cast and crew interviews,

four deleted scenes with director’s commentary, a play-by-play

deconstruction of the basketball sequences and oddly, a full, newly

restored silent film version of “Othello.”

Including a more traditional interpretation of “Othello” with the DVD

is a good idea, but the movie is mediocre, and as most silent films are,

quite campy. Including a filmed stage performance of “Othello” would have

been better so audiences could get a taste of the Bard’s intricate

dialogue.

If you’re a Shakespeare fanatic, “O” is worth the novelty of watching.

But otherwise, it would be more worthwhile to go to the library and check

out the original.

IF YOU LIKE SHAKESPEARE: If you’re looking for a really good

Shakespeare movie on DVD, “Titus” is a far better choice.

Director Julie Taymor, who staged the Broadway version of “The Lion

King,” mixes unbridled passion and stunning visuals to create a

heart-wrenching, exhausting film version of Shakespeare’s most violent

play. The DVD also features tons of extras, including a priceless

documentry, which follows Taymor’s filmmaking process from rehearsals to

the shooting of the movie. “Titus” is definitely not for the weak of

heart, but is an excellent example of how reinterpreting Shakespeare can

be effective.

* JOSE J. SANTOS is the art director for the Independent. He can be

reached at [email protected].