Comparisons between the play "Othello" and the Movie "O"

Shakespeare's play "Othello" and Tim Blake Nelson's modern interpretation, "O", exhibit many similarities in their content as well as some differences.  Nelson's movie, "O," came out in 2001, starring Mekhi Phifer as Odin (Othello), Julia Stiles as Desi (Desdemona), and Josh Hartnett as Hugo (Iago). Some similarities that both the movie and play focus on are themes of racial tension, jealousy, manipulation, small props, and much more.

Racial tension can be observed in both the play and the movie.  Othello is a black man who heads his army and is known for his bravery and valiant skill in war, and Odin is the star and only black basketball player on his high school team.  Although the racial undertone is more prevalent in the movie than it is in the play, it does serve to show that Othello/Odin is seen as different by the rest of the community.  Iago/Hugo are jealous of his success and want to essentially bring the cocky Odin and Cassio back to earth, and knows he can manipulate them using Desi and Odin's pride as the targets.  Iago/Hugo knows that he can use his skill and pick on the weaknesses in each character in order to get what he wants.  Secondly, a prop of significance in both the play and the movie is the handkerchief.  It was a gift, and when it ends up in the wrong hands, Othello/Odin becomes furious about it.  Also, Othello/Odin is manipulated into believing that Desdemona/Desi has been cheating on him and he promises Iago/Hugo that he will kill her for what she has done.  Despite his accusations, Desi/Desdemona holds true to her word when she says she hasn't cheat on him, but he still does not believe her and strangles her at the end of the movie.

The main difference between the play and the movie is the setting.  Othello is set in Venice and the island of Cyprus while there were wars between Venice and Turkey.  "O" is set at a modern day prep school where their basketball team is fighting for the state title.  In the play, Othello and Desdemona marry while in the movie, they are only high school lovers bound by a rubber band ring on Desi's ring finger.  Also, drug use becomes a factor in the movie that contributes to how the characters act; Hugo uses steroids and Odin uses cocaine.  While there are some differences between the movie and the play, Othello's plot guides O's storyline and makes for a very sad ending to this tragedy.