Movie adaptations of Shakespeare are either really great or fall flat on their face. Director Michael Radford’s version of William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice is an adaptation that lands somewhere in between.
The movie has all the elements needed for a good Shakespeare film – good actors, great costumes, a solid soundtrack, and beautiful settings. For some reason, those elements never really come together to bring a good version of the play to the screen.
Merchant of Venice, adapted from one of Shakespeare’s more controversial plays, has the talent to back up The Bard’s words. The film stars Al Pacino as Shylock, Jeremy Irons as Antonio, Joseph Fiennes as Bassanio, and Lynn Collins as Portia. It was directed by Michael Radford – who also directed Postino, Il.
The story uses several of Shakespeare’s familiar plot devices to deliver a tale of love and tragedy. Shylock is one of the bard’s greatest villains, but also a character that you can’t help feeling sorry for from time to time. The play has always been somewhat controversial due to the anti-Semitism of several characters and its portrayal of Shylock.
Merchant of Venice tells the story of a Bassanio - a young nobleman who is in love with Portia. He needs money to travel to her estate and win her as a bride. With no money to his name, Bassanio turns to his friend Antonio, the merchant, for help. Antonio, in turn, turns to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, to borrow the money needed. Shylock, who is tired of the treatment his people receive and Antonio’s scorn, agrees to allow the merchant to borrow the money, but sets the demand that a pound of flesh be cut from Antonio’s breast if he isn’t able to pay.
Merchant of Venice Main Menu
After events leave Antonio penniless, Shylock, in raged by the betrayal of his daughter, sets out to claim his bond from Antonio’s flesh. Bassanio returns to help his friend, and is aided by a young lawyer, who is secretly his new wife Portia.
The movie’s adaptation of the play is similar to the way you examine the Shylock character. It isn’t that bad, but you can’t help but feel sorry for it from time to time. Compared to other film adaptations of Shakespeare, such as Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, Merchant of Venice doesn’t hold up as strong.
The film has all the pageantry needed for Shakespeare, but some added elements, such as the amount of nudity, take away from the feel of the classic story. Also, several actors fall short of delivering their best performance in a movie.
Jeremy Irons is a great actor and has proven his talent in a number of films. In Merchant of Venice, the actor seems miscast and tired. He mumbles many of his lines making it difficult to follow the story, and even care about his character.
Joseph Fiennes is also flat in the role of Bassanio, and you have to wonder what Portia saw in him. He has the talent for the role, but never really seems to have the passion needed. I liked him in Shakespeare in Love and maybe that tainted my opinion of him in this film. I felt like he was going through the motions of an actor of his caliber and never fully committed to his part in the film.<!--page-->
Merchant of Venice Special Features
Although some actors lack in the movie, Pacino and Collins shine in their roles as Shylock and Portia.Collins, a newcomer to film, has all the grace and charm that is needed for Portia. She also does a great job in her duel role of the doctor towards the end of the film. When she is on screen, the film truly feels Shakespearian and she does a good job of holding her own against legends like Pacino and Irons.
The heart and soul of the Merchant of Venice is the portrayal of Shylock. He is a villain in the way he seeks revenge on Antonio, but he is also a tragic character through the way Shakespeare punishes him towards the end.
Pacino does an excellent job of capturing this element of the Shylock character. He delivers him in a soft-spoken evil that I haven’t seen the actor do since Godfather. At the same time, you can’t help but feel sorry for Pacino towards the end of the movie when his daughter leaves him, he loses his fortune, and is forced to beg mercy from Antonio.
In every scene, the actor delivers a performance that only he can bring to the screen. He proves why he is one of the greatest actors of his generations and helps redeem many of the film’s disappointments.
Merchant of Venice is a good movie, but it isn’t great. It lacks when compared to other adaptations of Shakespeare, but not to the extent that it should be forgotten all together. I enjoyed the movie, but expected more from the cast. It is very long and drags during several scenes.
Pacino’s Shylock is both villain and tragic.
The DVD’s special features include a making of featurette, commentary from Radford and Collins, and a web-link to teacher’s guides for classroom studies.
Even with its faults, Merchant of Venice is a good adaptation of the play. Pacino and Collins make the film worth watching. If you are a fan of the play or Shakespeare then you might not like this version, but you won’t hate it. It isn’t the best screen adaptation of The Bard, but it is far from the worse.
The Merchant of Venice is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK . Visit the film’s database for more information.
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