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Merchant Of Venice: Pacino, Irons, Fiennes and loads more

This rather sumptuous film, actually made in 2004, all shadows and flickering flames is real treat.
To start, it doesn't falter from the anti-semitism shown in the original, not that the play is, but Venice (and Europe in general) certainly was and Shylock is referred to as "jew" to his face all the way through, so if you are sensitive to that, then be prepared.
But Shylock (Pacino in full acting regalia) is revealed as a tragic figure consumed by vengeance to the point of self destruction. As a morality tale of the effects of hate it can't be beaten.
The whole cast are very good (spot the refugee from The Office... British version...) and I would single out Lynn Collins as Portia, someone I didn't know before as both very good and perhaps a future addition to many a middle aged man's wish list(!).
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The opening scenes set the look of the film as the interiors disappear (sometimes to an almost solarised effect on colours... uinless it was ME!!!???) into shadow and damp, whilst the cast look to have come from the Keith Richards school of wasted rock'n'roll chic, all old leather and unironed lace and velvet.
British viewers can spot a reasonably disguised John Sessions and Gregor Fisher(!!!).




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Topic - Merchant Of Venice: Pacino, Irons, Fiennes and loads more - dave c 14:47:46 07/12/09 (4)

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