DVD Features:
- Rated: R
- Run Time: 1 hours, 34 minutes
- Video: Color
- Released: September 17, 2002
- Originally Released: 2001
- Label: Lions Gate
Encoding: Region 1 (USA & Canada)
Packaging: Keep Case
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: Full Frame
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Information:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Tim Blake Nelson - Director, Julia Stiles - Star, Russell Lee
- Music-Only Track
Interactive Features:
- Interactive Menus
- Scene Selection
Performers, Cast and Crew:
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Starring
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Josh Hartnett,
Mekhi Phifer,
Julia Stiles,
Andrew Keegan,
John Heard,
Rain Phoenix,
Elden Henson,
A.J. Johnson,
Martin Sheen &
Harold Shumate
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Performer
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Rain Phoenix,
A.J. Johnson,
Harold Shumate,
John Heard,
Elden Henson,
Andrew Keegan &
Martin Sheen
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Directed by
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Tim Blake Nelson
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Screenwriting by
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Brad Kaaya
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Composition by
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Jeff Danna
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Produced by
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Daniel Fried &
Eric Gitter
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Director of Photography
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Russell Lee Fine
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Executive Production by
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Michael I. Levy &
William Shively
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Entertainment Reviews:
Variety - 06/11/2001
"...A film that displays some good visual instincts and talent with actors..."
Hollywood Reporter - 07/03/2001
"...A lean, mean high school tragedy....O comes across as a potent drama, extremely well-acted by its lads....Phifer and Stiles are splendid young actors and give off plenty of heat..."
Box Office - 08/01/2001
"...An affecting heart-breaker....[Odin displays] charm and natural ability....Kaaya and Blake Nelson remain remarkably faithful to Shakespeare's oft-told tale..."
Movieline's Hollywood Life - 09/01/2001
"...The central themes of OTHELLO translate thrillingly to a contemporary setting....Powerful....This is a stunning portrait of evil that makes it clear Hartnett is a real actor and not just another pretty face..."
Los Angeles Times - 08/31/2001
"...O does understand and successfully trade on the undeniable power of its celebrated innocence-destroyed plotline....[Essential] is Hartnett's low-key, charismatic performance -- cool, withholding, compelling..."
USA Today - 08/31/2001
"...Artful and emotionally compelling....O is disturbing, but in all the right ways....O responsibly examines the origins and repercussions of deceit and brutality..."
Sight and Sound - 02/01/2002
"...[Nelson] displays a confident eye, sometimes rigorously formal, sometimes almost abstract..."
Total Film - 10/01/2002
"...The leads are uniformly strong, Phifer genuinely outstanding, and the dynamic court scenes will exhilarate regardless of your feelings towards basketball..."
Product Description:
Director Tim Blake Nelson sets Shakespeare's OTHELLO in a modern day private high school and the result is a dark, somber teen tragedy. Mekhi Phifer (CLOCKERS) stars as Odin James, an African American star basketball player at the otherwise all-white school. The coach of the team (Martin Sheen) loves Odin like a son, which causes real son Hugo (Josh Hartnett) to squirm with jealousy and plan an elaborate revenge. Julia Stiles (a modern dress Shakespeare regular, having also co-starred in HAMLET and TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU) is Desi, the virginal daughter of the dean, with whom Odin is in love. The ensuing outburst of tragic teen violence is a shocking denouement that elevates the already dangerous mood of the film to full-fledged terror.
Because of the intense violence in the film, it was shelved for years by a nervous Miramax in the wake of the real-life Columbine high school massacre. Finally, it was picked up by Lion's Gate Films. Upon viewing the film, such worry seems needless, as the film does nothing to glorify the violence it depicts. It explores themes of class, race, and all-consuming jealousy. Shakespeare's original dialogue is abandoned in favor of hip-hop-flavored modern language, but the tale's timeless relevance remains unaltered.
Plot Keywords:
Based On A Novel |
Deception |
High School Experiences |
Rape |
Shakespeare |
Teenagers |
Theatrical Release |
Violence
Production Notes:
- Theatrical Release: AUGUST 24, 2001
Based on 
