Thematic Parallels Between Othello and Tim Blake Nelson's O Carolanne Bonanno
Doves, hawks, basketball and handkerchiefs - visual metaphors abound in Tim Blake Nelson's film adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, “O.” Given that the rendition takes place in modern times, many aspects of the story's plot and theme had to be given a new appearance, making the characters and story more believable for modern viewers. Some metaphors, however, are more thematic than anything else, allowing the viewer to attain a better view into the psyches of the characters. During a first viewing of “O,” one may think that one particular scene may not appear to have any base in Shakespeare's play at all - the slam-dunk competition. Certainly, there is nothing in the plot that directly resembles this sequence, but what about theme? The scene revolves around the Othello character, Odin, and his violent actions as a result of his envy, i.e. his shattering the backboard. This is quite reminiscent of an incident in act 4, scene 1 of Shakespeare's play, where Othello strikes Desdemona while a minor character, Lodovico, is present. While it may not be the explicit representation of this aspect of Othello's anger, the slam-dunk contest in “O” thematically represents these characteristics as exhibited in act 4, scene 1. In order to fully dissect the symbolism occurring in this scene, an understanding of Othello, the central character, must be obtained. At this point in the plot, Othello has lost nearly all control of himself to his jealousy; in the play, he and Iago have just been speaking of how Othello is going to kill Desdemona; in “O,” Odin is high on cocaine and Hugo (Iago) has given him the misinformation that Desi (Desdemona) and Michael (Cassio) have been sleeping together. Obviously, Othello is in a very emotionally unstable condition, and being in the public eye only worsens matters. The theme of Othello's actions becoming exposed to the public eye is one of the more superficial layers of meaning in the slam-dunk scene, but a very critical one thematically. In the original Shakespeare, Othello strikes Desdemona in the company of Lodovico, a Venetian nobleman. This very action implies that Othello is so engrossed in his emotion that he simply does not care that other people can see his anger and subsequent violence towards his wife. In “O,” it can even be said that this concept has been magnified - Odin's violent actions do not occur in front of one person, but instead in front of an entire crowd of people. Another noteworthy aspect of these scenes is the parallel in reactions between the two works. Lodovico's first response does include surprise, but it is also a call for Othello to remedy his actions: “My lord, this would not be believed in Venice, / Though I should swear I saw't. `Tis very much; / Make her amends - she weeps” (IV.1.236-238); during “O,” when Odin destroys the backboard and pushes the ball boy down, the crowd simply boos at him. Both responses are appropriate to the contexts they take place in, but both express displeasure at Othello's actions. To further prove the point that Othello holds no regard for anyone else's opinion at this point, he ignores the responses in both contexts and continues harboring his negative feelings. In Shakespeare's script, Othello continues to rant about how evil he believes Desdemona is: “If that the earth could teem with woman's tears, / Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile” (IV.1.239-240), whereas in “O,” Odin remains silent and simply struts around the basketball court with his arms outstretched while the crowd boos him. Both actions hint at the more selfish aspect of Othello's emotions; by ignoring his surroundings and clinging to his beliefs, he proves that he is thinking more about himself at this point than anything else. What to make, however, of the lack of violence towards Desdemona herself in “O”? What do a shattered backboard and a ball boy have to do with her? This concept is much less literally represented than the previously explored theme, but is instead represented through symbolism and visual metaphor. Take the example of the backboard, for instance. When Odin performs his slam-dunk and cracks the backboard, the crowd goes absolutely wild - but their approval turns to displeasure when he uses the ball to completely destroy it. If one examines Odin's character, basketball is something that defines him as a person. It is represented as a passion he has, and he even receives the MVP award for the team, which is the source of the entire conflict in this rendition of the story. In a way, basketball could be interpreted as a symbol for the things Odin loves and enjoys in his life - like Desi. By having Odin destroy the backboard of the basketball hoop, Nelson illustrates the path that Odin / Othello has decided his life will take, a path that will destroy everything he loves, and ultimately himself. In this way, the image could even be seen as foreshadowing his death. The only instance of physical violence Odin displays in this scene is when he pushes the ball boy to the floor. Needless to say, Desi is not the ball boy, but a definite connection can be established between the two characters. Take the fact that the ball boy is an innocent bystander and has absolutely no idea that Odin has just snorted cocaine or been told that his girlfriend is definitely cheating on him, and then seemingly out of nowhere Odin pushes him down for apparently no reason. This can be directly related to Othello striking Desdemona in Shakespeare's script; Desdemona has not done anything wrong, and is very much unaware of Othello's feelings. The wanton manner in which Odin pushes the ball boy also bears a striking resemblance to the way in which Othello strikes Desdemona - without warning, for apparently no reason, and directly in view of an important Venetian official. The ball boy symbolizes the attack on innocence that Othello commits by striking his wife. It is, of course, worth noting that Desi is present during the entire slam-dunk contest to witness Odin's degeneration, and obviously expresses shock, dismay and displeasure at his actions. Odin certainly notices her, and stares at her and Michael as they watch him prepare to perform his slam-dunk, but he does not verbally or physically communicate with her during this scene. By isolating Odin, from Desi specifically, Nelson puts a very interesting spin on the situation. The fact that they have no direct contact magnifies the fact that Odin is emotionally pulling further away from his girlfriend and is swiftly becoming consumed by his jealousy. However, Desi is still a witness to his deteriorating condition, just as she was in Shakespeare's story. The place in which Nelson puts Desi adds yet another element to this aspect of the scene; not only is she seated quite far away from the court itself, she is also sitting with Michael. Imagine it in this manner: when Othello struck Desdemona, he was obviously thinking about the allegations against Desdemona and Cassio, This is logical, not only because he was just speaking of all of this with Iago, but also because Desdemona chooses that particular time to mention “the love [she] bear[s] to Cassio” (IV.1.227). Needless to say, this infuriated Othello to the point where he was capable of physical violence. This is paralleled in the way Odin notices Desi sitting with Michael; in both Othello and “O,” he is seeing even more “proof” of Desdemona's infidelity, and it only makes him angrier. With the setup of the scene, Nelson illustrates what was happening in Othello's mind as he struck Desdemona. The image of Odin soundlessly dribbling the ball on the court staring up at the two of them implies deep internal thought, and suggests that he is imagining the entire setup. Furthermore, by placing them far away and on a higher level than him, it could even imply that Othello is feeling utterly helpless about the situation, as if there is no way he could reach them and take back his wife. Another parallel that can be drawn in this scene is between the way Desdemona speaks of Cassio and the seating of Desi and Michael, both of which occur in a way that Othello / Odin probably views as a blatant display of their affair. Desdemona states her like for Cassio in front of Othello, Lodovico and Iago, and, likewise, Desi and Michael are sitting together out in public. None of this is implicating evidence, of course, but given the way Othello / Odin is thinking at this point it is the only way to view their actions. Certainly, there are a multitude of thematic parallels that can be drawn between Shakespeare's original Othello and Tim Blake Nelson's film adaptation “O.” Nelson cleverly uses metaphor in order to convey themes and emotions to the viewer from the original story in a unique way, giving the story an even more dramatic and modern feel. That being said, what does all of this imply about Shakespeare's work? With a little thought, it's not hard at all to see the way the original ideas, feelings and themes of Othello can be conveyed in a modern sense. It is only further proof of the timelessness of Shakespeare - his work is constructed in such a way that examines and exhibits a wide variety of human emotions, all of which are naturally universal to all humans. As a result, his material can be translated into any time frame or any material so that many different people from all walks of life can gain the insight into the human mind that Shakespeare is able to give.
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