Othello
Shakespeare's tragedy proves remarkably versatile in this 1922  adaptation, combining the Bard's passionate melodrama with the rich  psychological underpinnings of Germany's silent expressionist cinema.  Directed with intelligent economy by Russian expatriate Dimitri  Buchowetzki, the film is brimming over with title cards, but only a few  of them borrow from Shakespeare verbatim. In both plotting and written  dialogue, this is a largely original interpretation, bearing closer  resemblance to the 2001 teen dramaOthan to Shakespeare,  emphasizing the ill-fated Moor's descent into jealousy and madness,  brought upon him by the scheming Iago, played with delicious villainy  by Werner Krauss ofThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligarifame. As  Othello, the legendary Emil Jannings plays to the cheap seats with  crazed abandon, his bulging eyes about to burst from their sockets.  It's the showmanship of a stage icon, but wholly appropriate to the  escalating intensity of Shakespeare's play, the essence of which is  admirably retained.--Jeff Shannon