Director Tim Blake Nelson sets Shakespeare's OTHELLO in a modern day private high school and the result is a dark, somber teen tragedy. Mekhi Phifer (CLOCKERS) stars as Odin James, an African American star basketball player at the otherwise all-white school. The coach of the team (Martin Sheen) loves Odin like a son, which causes real son Hugo (Josh Hartnett) to squirm with jealousy and plan an elaborate revenge. Julia Stiles (a modern dress Shakespeare regular, having also co-starred in HAMLET and TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU) is Desi, the virginal daughter of the dean, with whom Odin is in love. The ensuing outburst of tragic teen violence is a shocking denouement that elevates the already dangerous mood of the film to full-fledged terror.

Because of the intense violence in the film, it was shelved for years by a nervous Miramax in the wake of the real-life Columbine high school massacre. Finally, it was picked up by Lion's Gate Films. Upon viewing the film, such worry seems needless, as the film does nothing to glorify the violence it depicts. It explores themes of class, race, and all-consuming jealousy. Shakespeare's original dialogue is abandoned in favor of hip-hop-flavored modern language, but the tale's timeless relevance remains unaltered.

Theatrical Release: AUGUST 24, 2001

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Letterbox - 1.85
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Basketball Scene Analysis by Tim Blake Nelson and Cinematographer Russell Lee
Cast & Crew Interviews
Deleted Scenes with Commentary
Fine
Audio Commentary: Tim Blake Nelson
Interactive Features:
Scene Selection
Interactive Menus

Josh Hartnett: Actor
Mekhi Phifer: Actor, CLOCKERS
Julia Stiles: 
John Heard: American actor, HOME ALONE (1990)
Eldon Henson: Actor, 'The Mighty' (1998)
Andrew Keegan: Actor/"Camp Nowhere"
Rain Phoenix: American actress
Martin Sheen: American actor, THE WEST WING
A.J. Johnson: 
Harold Shumate: Screenwriter

Tim Blake Nelson: Actor/Director

Daniel Fried: Producer, O (2001)
Eric Gitter: Producer, O (2001)

Brad Kaaya: Screenwriter, O (2001)

Jeff Danna: Composer\"BOONDOCK SAINTS"

"...A lean, mean high school tragedy....O comes across as a potent drama, extremely well-acted by its lads....Phifer and Stiles are splendid young actors and give off plenty of heat..."
"...An affecting heart-breaker....[Odin displays] charm and natural ability....Kaaya and Blake Nelson remain remarkably faithful to Shakespeare's oft-told tale..."
"...The central themes of OTHELLO translate thrillingly to a contemporary setting....Powerful....This is a stunning portrait of evil that makes it clear Hartnett is a real actor and not just another pretty face..."
"...O does understand and successfully trade on the undeniable power of its celebrated innocence-destroyed plotline....[Essential] is Hartnett's low-key, charismatic performance -- cool, withholding, compelling..."
"...Artful and emotionally compelling....O is disturbing, but in all the right ways....O responsibly examines the origins and repercussions of deceit and brutality..."
"...[Nelson] displays a confident eye, sometimes rigorously formal, sometimes almost abstract..."
"...The leads are uniformly strong, Phifer genuinely outstanding, and the dynamic court scenes will exhilarate regardless of your feelings towards basketball..."
"...A film that displays some good visual instincts and talent with actors..."