It was directed by Oliver Parker and stars Laurence Fishburne as Othello, Irène Jacob as Desdemona, and Kenneth Branagh as Iago.

Othello, a Moor who has married a young Venetian gentlewoman, Desdemona, is sent to repel a Turkish invasion attempt on the island of Cyprus.

[4] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Branagh's superb performance, as the man whose Machiavellian scheming guides the story of Othello's downfall, guarantees this film an immediacy that any audience will understand.

... Anna Patrick is particularly transfixing in the role of Emilia, Iago's wife and Desdemona's servant, who scathingly articulates some of the play's feminist undercurrents.

"[5] As of November 2024, the film holds a rating of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 41 reviews with the consensus: "Perhaps less than the sum of its parts, Othello is still highly entertaining and features excellent performances from Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh.