I chose this scene from the 2001 adaptation of Othello, called “O”. This is the final scene of the movie, in it Mekhi Phifer plays Othello. I chose this scene because it was the most powerful adaptation of Othello I have ever watched. As we see it starts off with Hugo (Iago) dropping the gun, only to have O come and pick it up. We can clearly see O trying to put together all of the pieces of the puzzle in his mind as he is walking over to Hugo. I loved how this final scene plays out pretty accurately to the end of the text. O questions Hugo as to why he did everything he did. Hugo replies, ” You don’t ask me nothing, I did what I did and thats all you need to know, from here on out I say nothing.” This is very similar to Iago’s response in that he neither confirms or denies everything that he did. The only difference is that in the play Iago then exits for good, and in the movie we see how Hugo follows O out on to the porch for his final monologue. More importantly is O’s final speech out on the patio in front of a lot of other students and eventually two police officers. This is my favorite part of the entire film. His acting was so intense, you could feel the rage, confusion, and despair in every line he delivers. I liked how he went on to explain to everyone that he is no different than anyone else. That he did not come from a broken home, that he was not a gangster or drug dealer. He was a basketball star who was simply in love with his girlfriend. He tells them all that it was Hugo who got in his head, a friend who he trusted, that ultimately played him. He was in too deep and believed the person he should not have. He regretted his decision to murder “Desi” but that there was no going back. He wanted everyone to know who he was and what the truth was. That he wasn’t crazy, instead to caught up in his emotions, and the lies that were spun to him. He then takes his life as he has nothing else to live for. Just like in the play.

Did you guys enjoy this scene? Did anyone not like how the movie portrayed the text? Finally did everyone enjoy the acting?