The Merchant of Venice would be just a competent period piece were it not for Al Pacino's performance. His character Shylock is by far the most interesting character, even though his character is no doubt intended as an antagonist. I can't endorse the actions he eventually takes, but is his initial desire for revenge so wrong? He is spit on by Christians because just being a Jew is supposedly sinful, the same Christians who routinely visit whorehouses. The money he has loaned has not been returned as was promised and to add insult to injury, his daughter runs off with a Christian and his fortune.
There's a great courtroom scene in which Shylock attempts to collect a pound of flesh from the man in debt, Antonio (Jeremy Irons) by falling back on technicalities of the court. His "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech is fantastic, although paradoxical with the anti-Semitism apparent in Shakespeare's play. Then Shylock meets his bitter downfall by having other technicalities thrown back at him. In contrast with this scene, the last 20 minutes following a subplot about rings is farcical.
The look of the Merchant of Venice is well-done. Both the costume and set design are just about faultless. How the film has been put onto celluloid I would think would be pretty close to what the Bard had probably imagined it. Of course, not even the best production values can save a film entirely. And the Merchant of Venice has its share of slips.
The story following Bassanio (Jeremy Irons) wooing Portia (Lynn Collins, who resembles Cate Blanchett) is often unexciting. The biggest problem is the erratic tone of the film. The drama of the characters Antonio and Shylock is undercut by dips into screwball comedy. Sometimes the comic relief works. Other times, like when the courtroom scene's drama is punctured by the presence of a cross-dressing Portia (yes, you read that correctly), it feels ridiculous. In addition, the character Bassanio is uninteresting. Guessing if Antonio has romantic feelings towards him is of some interest, but Shylock is the only character I'm going to remember a week from now.
Even if the background story wasn't that interesting, I still think it may be worth a look for Al Pacino's excellent turn. He brings depth and pathos to a story that doesn't possess much of it. The film's intelligent and is the first adaptation of the play that isn't a silent film. But those looking for a little more meat to their films might want to look elsewhere.
There's a great courtroom scene in which Shylock attempts to collect a pound of flesh from the man in debt, Antonio (Jeremy Irons) by falling back on technicalities of the court. His "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech is fantastic, although paradoxical with the anti-Semitism apparent in Shakespeare's play. Then Shylock meets his bitter downfall by having other technicalities thrown back at him. In contrast with this scene, the last 20 minutes following a subplot about rings is farcical.
The look of the Merchant of Venice is well-done. Both the costume and set design are just about faultless. How the film has been put onto celluloid I would think would be pretty close to what the Bard had probably imagined it. Of course, not even the best production values can save a film entirely. And the Merchant of Venice has its share of slips.
The story following Bassanio (Jeremy Irons) wooing Portia (Lynn Collins, who resembles Cate Blanchett) is often unexciting. The biggest problem is the erratic tone of the film. The drama of the characters Antonio and Shylock is undercut by dips into screwball comedy. Sometimes the comic relief works. Other times, like when the courtroom scene's drama is punctured by the presence of a cross-dressing Portia (yes, you read that correctly), it feels ridiculous. In addition, the character Bassanio is uninteresting. Guessing if Antonio has romantic feelings towards him is of some interest, but Shylock is the only character I'm going to remember a week from now.
Even if the background story wasn't that interesting, I still think it may be worth a look for Al Pacino's excellent turn. He brings depth and pathos to a story that doesn't possess much of it. The film's intelligent and is the first adaptation of the play that isn't a silent film. But those looking for a little more meat to their films might want to look elsewhere.