Filming Othello

Orson Welles's essay film about his own 1952 Othello. The structure is not a conventional documentary. Welles sits at an editing bench, watches pieces of his own film and talks: what he shot and how, what did not work, how he sees his decisions years later. Some of it is production history and interesting in itself: Othello was shot in bursts over years for lack of money, some scenes take place in a bathhouse because no costumes could be found, and as the cast changed the editing had to cover for it. In the second section Welles sits at a table with two of Othello's actors, Micheál MacLiammóir and Hilton Edwards. In the third he answers questions from an audience after a screening in Boston. It was made for West German television and shot in 16mm; Gary Graver was the cinematographer. It was the last feature Welles was able to complete. A valuable record for anyone who likes Welles, thinking about cinema, and production history. For someone who has not seen Othello, the film is without context; most of what is discussed does not land without having watched it.