Great Works I: Remixing Memory

The 1995 film adaptation “Othello” directed by Oliver Parker incorporates memory flashbacks when Othello is giving his speech to the assembled senate and Duke. These memory flashbacks provide the viewer with a more detailed point of view that one cannot get out of the written text. It specifically illustrates how Othello and Desdemona caught each others eye from the first time they had spotted each other, and how Desdemona was intrigued and showed pity for the obstacles and experiences he had gone through in his past. She is seen in a flashback memorized of his tattoos and markings that were all reminders of his past experiences in battle and war, sharing a kiss with him at the end. These flashbacks help tie together Othello’s meaning behind his speech. The movie itself seems to cut down upon the original text lines but the main ideas are still intact and fall very close to how the original text goes according to plot. The movie also initially shows how Brabanzio is already being haunted by something in his sleep before the news of Othello and Desdemonia reaches him. These small additions help the viewer get the mood of the scene better than if they were simply reading the text.