Othello (1922)

When the Venetian general Othello (Emil Jannings), also known as The Moor, chooses another man (Theodor Loos) as his lieutenant instead of him, the villainous Iago (Werner Krauss) plants seeds of jealousy by suggesting the lieutenant is Othello's bride's (Ica Von Lenkeffy) lover. Based on the Shakespeare play and directed by Dimitri Buchowetzki. Shakespeare in silent cinema seems almost senseless since the beauty of Shakespeare's language is lost except for the occasional intertitle. Still, there are the performances I suppose and the acting here is good except for Krauss's Iago who is almost comically bad. The trite piano underscore doesn't help matters any. More of a curiosity for Shakespeare completists but fans of silent film should enjoy Jannings' performance. With Lya De Putti as Emilia and Ferdinand Von Alten as Rodrigo.