Otello (2001): cast, story & where to watch
2001 · Film
Released in 2001, Otello is a music film directed by Jürgen Flimm, running about 157 minutes.
What it’s about. One of the chief pleasures of this live production of Otello from the Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden is Daniel Barenboim's conducting. From the opening gale-force blast of storm music, through the crunching and stabbing accompaniment of Iago's "Credo" to the shimmering strings of Desdemona's "Willow Song", he doesn't miss a trick. Everything works at the highest pitch of intensity and the orchestra sticks to his beat like glue. It's a necessary compensation for the shortcomings of the staging: the stolid chorus remains unperturbed by the storm and is directed to perform with unison movements; the acting (apart from Valeri Alexejev) is non-committal, and Alexandre Tarta's video direction somewhat flat-footed. She doesn't manage to make much small-screen sense of an impenetrably murky opening scene, for example, and doesn't seem fond of reaction shots.
Who’s in it. Otello stars Christian Franz as Otello (tenor), Emily Magee as Desdemona (soprano), Valeri Alexejev as Iago (baritone) and Stephan Rügamer as Cassio (tenor), among others.
Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Otello page.
If you liked it. Fans of Otello tend to enjoy Whiplash, Coco, Green Book and The Legend of 1900.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Otello (2001)?
- Streaming, rental and purchase options for Otello change frequently. Check our where-to-watch page for the latest availability in your country.
- Who stars in Otello?
- Otello stars Christian Franz, Emily Magee, Valeri Alexejev, Stephan Rügamer and Andreas Schmidt.
- When was Otello released?
- Otello was released in 2001, with a runtime of about 157 minutes.