At their best, the Animated Shakespeare plays bring the essence of the dramas to a wider audience than might read them or see them in the theatre. Leon Garfield's screenplay, married to thrilling animation, voiced by fine actors, achieves such power that I'm amazed that this 'Othello', with its allusions to 'the beast with two backs' and Cassio's 'lying in or on Desdemona' got a 'U' certificate. Colin McFarlane is a great bull of a Moor, destroyed by a Hibernian matador - Gerald McSorley's brilliantly devious Iago. Sian Thomas is a poignant Desdemona and all the essential characters - Cassio, Emilia, Bianca, Brabantio, Roderigo are present and correct. After Welles' version this is the best screen adaptation I can recall. (I'm working my way through the 12 plays in the collection: the 'Macbeth' is as good as this.)
2 Reviews
Bitter manipulation
TheLittleSongbird8 August 2018
As said many times, have always had a lifelong love of animation, old and new. Disney, Studio Ghibli, Hanna Barbera, Tom and Jerry, Hanna Barbera, Looney Tunes and also the works of Tex Avery and Fleischer. With a broader knowledge of animation styles, directors, studios and how it was all done actually love it even more now.
Have also loved William Shakespeare's work from an early age, remember very fondly reading various parts aloud in primary and secondary school English classes when studying the likes of 'Macbeth', 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Twelfth Night' and various film adaptations such as Kenneth Branagh's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth'. So a large part of me was hugely intrigued by 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales', with such a high appreciation of both animation and Shakespeare. There was also the worry of whether Shakespeare would work as short animated adaptations compressed and condensed, when some much longer adaptations have suffered.
It was wonderful that 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales' not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them. All my worries of whether it would work quickly evaporated when it absolutely did work and brilliantly.
Even with the short length, the essence and spirit of 'Othello' is maintained. It doesn't suffer from the condensation, even when everything is not there, nothing is incoherent which is a big achievement for such a play so narratively concise.
Shakespeare's colourful and thought-provoking language is as colourful and thought-provoking as one would hope, so many recognisable moments with all their impact. All in a way to appeal and be understandable to a wide audience, being easy to understand for younger audiences (of which the series is a perfect introduction of Shakespeare to), with such complex text and story elements a lot of credit is due. Adults will relish how the text is delivered, the many quotable lines and how well the essence of is captured.
Younger audiences and adults alike will marvel at the emotional and tense story. There shouldn't be any confusion and there is nothing to scare youngsters. The characters are true to personality, with Othello and Iago especially well realised, the dynamic between them having plenty of intensity.
The visuals are very appealing to look at, colourful, meticulously detailed, nicely rendered and atmospheric and perfectly suited to the various characters and tone of the play. The music is never inappropriate and really hauntingly beautiful to listen to, the narration is never over-explanatory or annoying, actually helping with making things clear, and always sincerely delivered.
Colin Macfarlane is very powerful in the title role and he is more than well matched by the evil incarnate Iago of Gerard McSorley and Sian Thomas' nobly touching Desdemona. Phillip Franks also gives a good account of himself as Cassio.
Overall, simply wonderful, one of my personal favourite adaptations of 'Othello' actually. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Have also loved William Shakespeare's work from an early age, remember very fondly reading various parts aloud in primary and secondary school English classes when studying the likes of 'Macbeth', 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Twelfth Night' and various film adaptations such as Kenneth Branagh's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth'. So a large part of me was hugely intrigued by 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales', with such a high appreciation of both animation and Shakespeare. There was also the worry of whether Shakespeare would work as short animated adaptations compressed and condensed, when some much longer adaptations have suffered.
It was wonderful that 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales' not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them. All my worries of whether it would work quickly evaporated when it absolutely did work and brilliantly.
Even with the short length, the essence and spirit of 'Othello' is maintained. It doesn't suffer from the condensation, even when everything is not there, nothing is incoherent which is a big achievement for such a play so narratively concise.
Shakespeare's colourful and thought-provoking language is as colourful and thought-provoking as one would hope, so many recognisable moments with all their impact. All in a way to appeal and be understandable to a wide audience, being easy to understand for younger audiences (of which the series is a perfect introduction of Shakespeare to), with such complex text and story elements a lot of credit is due. Adults will relish how the text is delivered, the many quotable lines and how well the essence of is captured.
Younger audiences and adults alike will marvel at the emotional and tense story. There shouldn't be any confusion and there is nothing to scare youngsters. The characters are true to personality, with Othello and Iago especially well realised, the dynamic between them having plenty of intensity.
The visuals are very appealing to look at, colourful, meticulously detailed, nicely rendered and atmospheric and perfectly suited to the various characters and tone of the play. The music is never inappropriate and really hauntingly beautiful to listen to, the narration is never over-explanatory or annoying, actually helping with making things clear, and always sincerely delivered.
Colin Macfarlane is very powerful in the title role and he is more than well matched by the evil incarnate Iago of Gerard McSorley and Sian Thomas' nobly touching Desdemona. Phillip Franks also gives a good account of himself as Cassio.
Overall, simply wonderful, one of my personal favourite adaptations of 'Othello' actually. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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