Before The Viewing: Thoughts, Feelings, and Notes
So, before I view "O", I would just like to point out that I only know the general story of Othello: Desdemona and Othello are an item, but Othello eventually kills her due to her "unfaithfulness", which he heard from Iago. First, I think that is complete, malarkey. Who believes a person who is jealous of them over their woman? That's just wrong. This film was nominated for the Black Reel Award for best actor Mekhi Phifer, the actor playing Odin James. Anyways, it is time for the viewing. I have heard that Othello is one of Shakespeare's most profound tragedies. Let's see of that true.
After The Viewing: Thoughts, Feelings, and Notes
Suffice it to say, it is true. I may not look it on the exterior, but I am for the most part a positive person. That movie made me feel very depressed, and I the only thing that would cheer me up was watching cartoons (really anime, if I am being perfectly honest with myself). In this film, Othello is represented in one Odin James, star basketball player and sole African-American student in his school, Palmetto Grove Academy. His girlfriend, Desi (Desdemona), is the daughter of Dean Brable (Brabantio) and is absolutely in love with Odin. Iago is represented in the character Hugo, son to the school's basketball coach, Coach Duke (Duke of Venice), and extremely jealous of Odin for worming his way into his father's affections. The majority of the movie is veiwing Hugo plot against Odin by manipulating him and everyone around him, including Roger (Roderigo), a rich kid who wishes to go out with Desi, Michael Cassio (Cassio), who is Odin's right-hand man in everything, and Emily (Emilia), who is Desi's best friend and his own girlfriend.
I am very angry with this story, but I picked it, so I must continue. The only way I can properly do so is to rant. However, I will rant in a very structured manner. I will touch on three things that I found to be necessary to discuss: how all of this could have been avoided in the film, Hugo as a villain, and the music in the film.
First of all, I blame Hugo's father. I BLAME HUGO'S DAD FOR EVERYTHING!!! If he had paid more attention to his own son, then Hugo would have most likely not developed his inferiority complex, and probably (because I can only speak in possibilities here) would not have concocted all of these plans to ruin people's lives. Throughout the entire movie, Coach Duke treats Odin like his own son, more than his own biological son. Imagine if your own father chose someone to basically replace you because you were not what he wanted. That's enough to make anyone feel bad about themselves. Over the course of the entire movie, the coach evaded all of Hugo's questions when it came to Odin. There is a scene where Michael gets into trouble and is suspended from playing two games in the season, even though he's one of the best and it is very close to the championships. At dinner that same night, Hugo questions his father. He asks him if he would have done that to Odin if it was him instead of Michael. His father avoids the question by saying that he is eating his dinner. That, for Hugo, was answer enough. He KNOWS that his father would bail Odin out of anything so he could play in the championships.
Secondly, as much as can not stand him, Hugo was a fantastic villain. The fact that I could not stand the villain is part of what makes him a great villain. He knew just the right things to say to everyone who was a part of his plans, both directly or indirectly. Also, he actually had his own plans. If you have ever noticed in some of Shakespeare's plays, the villain does not really have all of the plans. Usually, his right-hand man does. Seriously, go back and read at Much Ado About Nothing. Don John did not make the ultimate plan. Borachio did. Anyways, in Othello, Iago had all of the ideas and all of the ways to manipulate his victims. It really transferred well into the movie. Hugo knew what made every character tick. The term "silent, but deadly" most certainly applies to Hugo in this film. Also, because this is told in Hugo's view, it is extremely torturous for the audience, because you know all of the facts. You know exactly what is going to happen when, and it is all very nerve-wracking to watch it unfold. The fact that he was also a drug user just added to his villainous persona. Yes, he took steroids to enhance his performance in the hopes that his father would notice him. Well, I guess if performance-enhancing drugs do not work, manipulating and killing fellow students is the next best option.
Finally, the music. There was a completely wide variety of music in this film, ranging from rap to opera. The fact that the Tim Blake Nelson managed to incorporate two music genres from completely opposite spectra tells you how convoluted the play and this film truly are. With intense romance (I ran away at this part), drug deals, and plots against many, a music variety of this caliber is quite necessary. It aided the transitions of one scene to the next while also helping to tie them all in to create the root of all evil: jealousy.
In my opinion, it was not bad, but it is not something I would watch again. Oh, one more thing: whenever you wish to view a film, PLEASE CHECK THE RATINGS!!!! Things are not what they always appear to be.
All my life I always wanted to fly. I always wanted to live like a hawk. I know you're not supposed to be jealous of anything, but... to take flight, to soar above everything and everyone, now that's living. But a hawk is no good around normal birds. It can't fit in. Even though all the other birds probably wanna be hawks; they hate him for what they can't be. Proud. Powerful. Determined. Dark. Odin is a hawk. He soars above us. He can fly. One of these days, everyone's gonna pay attention to me. Because I'm gonna fly too.
-Hugo
I am very angry with this story, but I picked it, so I must continue. The only way I can properly do so is to rant. However, I will rant in a very structured manner. I will touch on three things that I found to be necessary to discuss: how all of this could have been avoided in the film, Hugo as a villain, and the music in the film.
First of all, I blame Hugo's father. I BLAME HUGO'S DAD FOR EVERYTHING!!! If he had paid more attention to his own son, then Hugo would have most likely not developed his inferiority complex, and probably (because I can only speak in possibilities here) would not have concocted all of these plans to ruin people's lives. Throughout the entire movie, Coach Duke treats Odin like his own son, more than his own biological son. Imagine if your own father chose someone to basically replace you because you were not what he wanted. That's enough to make anyone feel bad about themselves. Over the course of the entire movie, the coach evaded all of Hugo's questions when it came to Odin. There is a scene where Michael gets into trouble and is suspended from playing two games in the season, even though he's one of the best and it is very close to the championships. At dinner that same night, Hugo questions his father. He asks him if he would have done that to Odin if it was him instead of Michael. His father avoids the question by saying that he is eating his dinner. That, for Hugo, was answer enough. He KNOWS that his father would bail Odin out of anything so he could play in the championships.
Secondly, as much as can not stand him, Hugo was a fantastic villain. The fact that I could not stand the villain is part of what makes him a great villain. He knew just the right things to say to everyone who was a part of his plans, both directly or indirectly. Also, he actually had his own plans. If you have ever noticed in some of Shakespeare's plays, the villain does not really have all of the plans. Usually, his right-hand man does. Seriously, go back and read at Much Ado About Nothing. Don John did not make the ultimate plan. Borachio did. Anyways, in Othello, Iago had all of the ideas and all of the ways to manipulate his victims. It really transferred well into the movie. Hugo knew what made every character tick. The term "silent, but deadly" most certainly applies to Hugo in this film. Also, because this is told in Hugo's view, it is extremely torturous for the audience, because you know all of the facts. You know exactly what is going to happen when, and it is all very nerve-wracking to watch it unfold. The fact that he was also a drug user just added to his villainous persona. Yes, he took steroids to enhance his performance in the hopes that his father would notice him. Well, I guess if performance-enhancing drugs do not work, manipulating and killing fellow students is the next best option.
Finally, the music. There was a completely wide variety of music in this film, ranging from rap to opera. The fact that the Tim Blake Nelson managed to incorporate two music genres from completely opposite spectra tells you how convoluted the play and this film truly are. With intense romance (I ran away at this part), drug deals, and plots against many, a music variety of this caliber is quite necessary. It aided the transitions of one scene to the next while also helping to tie them all in to create the root of all evil: jealousy.
In my opinion, it was not bad, but it is not something I would watch again. Oh, one more thing: whenever you wish to view a film, PLEASE CHECK THE RATINGS!!!! Things are not what they always appear to be.
All my life I always wanted to fly. I always wanted to live like a hawk. I know you're not supposed to be jealous of anything, but... to take flight, to soar above everything and everyone, now that's living. But a hawk is no good around normal birds. It can't fit in. Even though all the other birds probably wanna be hawks; they hate him for what they can't be. Proud. Powerful. Determined. Dark. Odin is a hawk. He soars above us. He can fly. One of these days, everyone's gonna pay attention to me. Because I'm gonna fly too.
-Hugo