Before DVD extras were a thing, Orson Welles made this. It’s a self-reflective essay film where he revisits the chaotic, near-disastrous production of his 1952 “Othello”.
Free Link for “Filming Othello”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- Mid-shoot, Welles’ Italian producer went bankrupt. Welles and his cast were left stranded in Mogador, Morocco, with no money, no costumes, and no plan. So they just winged it for weeks.
- To film a murder scene in a period film without period costumes, Welles used a fish market as a fake Turkish bath, wrapped the actors in towels, and pumped incense through the fish stench.
- The “armor” worn by Othello’s soldiers? Welles says decades later that it was made out of hammered sardine cans.
Watch “Filming Othello”
You can stream “Filming Othello” on YouTube here or catch it on the Criterion Channel.
Ratings
- My Rating: 94/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 100/100 (Users); not yet rated (Critics)
Director’s Note: “Filming Othello” was directed by Orson Welles himself. It’s a TV documentary-essay hybrid he shot mostly in the 1970s, using long monologues in close-up by his Moviola (film editing machine), occasional audience Q&As, and a conversation with longtime collaborators Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir. If you’re a fan of “F for Fake,” this one feels like its quieter, older cousin (I rated this one 90/100).
My Review of “Filming Othello”
The Setup
In 1978, Welles made this hour-long doc as a kind of commentary track for his earlier feature “Othello.” But instead of rewatching the film with a mic, he sits in front of a Moviola and talks directly to us. It’s just Welles, a reel of film, and decades of perspective. He revisits the drama of scraping the film together over four years—from cash shortages and location disasters to bizarre workarounds that somehow made the movie feel epic despite being stitched together with spare parts.
More Highlights from the Doc
- He talks about filming scenes years apart—sometimes the same character is played by two different actors, sometimes by no one at all (just a voiceover).
- Welles shows us how the chaos forced creativity. Like a scene where Othello walks through a castle—shot in five different countries and cut to look like one continuous shot.
- We get a rare sit-down with Micheál MacLiammóir and Hilton Edwards, two Irish theater legends who played Iago and the Duke in “Othello” and helped Welles from the start of his Shakespeare phase.
- The final segment is a 1977 Q&A with Welles after a Boston screening—he’s wry, self-deprecating, and still defending choices he made 25 years earlier.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Welles admits the black-and-white visuals in “Othello” weren’t for style—they were out of necessity. He used whatever stock was available at the time, and it changed constantly.
- His narration was added last, sometimes recorded years after filming. He jokes that he was “aging backward” in the editing room.
- At one point he calls “Filming Othello” his most personal movie—more than “Citizen Kane” or “The Trial”—because it was the first one he made just for himself and fellow film lovers.
Wrap Up:
If you love movie magic, DIY filmmaking, or Welles’ Shakespeare obsession, this doc is a treasure. It’s like getting a filmmaking masterclass from one of the greatest hustlers to ever pick up a camera.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc