The Merchant of Venice (2004 film)
| The Merchant of Venice | |
|---|---|
|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Radford |
| Produced by |
Cary Brokaw Michael Cowan Jason Piette Barry Navidi Luciano Martino |
| Screenplay by | Michael Radford |
| Based on |
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare |
| Starring |
Al Pacino Jeremy Irons Joseph Fiennes Lynn Collins |
| Music by | Jocelyn Pook |
| Cinematography | Benoît Delhomme |
| Edited by | Lucia Zucchetti |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
Sony Pictures Classics MGM (international) Optimum Releasing (UK) Istituto Luce (Italy) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country |
United Kingdom Italy Luxembourg |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million[1] |
| Box office | $21,417,725[1] |
The Merchant of Venice is a 2004 romantic drama film based on Shakespeare's play of the same name. It is the first full-length sound film in English of Shakespeare's play—other versions are videotaped productions which were made for television, including John Sichel's 1973 version and Jack Gold's 1980 BBC production.
The title character is the merchant Antonio (Jeremy Irons), not the Jewish moneylender Shylock (Al Pacino) who is the more prominent character. This adaptation follows the text, but omits much. Director Michael Radford believed that Shylock was Shakespeare's first great tragic hero who reaches a catastrophe due to his own flaws.[2][3] The film begins with text and a montage of how the Jewish community is abused by the Christian population of Venice and brings attention to the fact that, as a convert, Shylock would have been cast out of the Jewish ghetto in Venice.
The film is a co-production between the United Kingdom, Italy, and Luxembourg.
Plot
Cast
- Al Pacino as Shylock
- Jeremy Irons as Antonio
- Joseph Fiennes as Bassanio
- Lynn Collins as Portia
- Zuleikha Robinson as Jessica
- Kris Marshall as Gratiano
- Charlie Cox as Lorenzo
- Heather Goldenhersh as Nerissa
- Mackenzie Crook as Launcelot Gobbo
- John Sessions as Salerio
- Gregor Fisher as Solanio
- Ron Cook as Old Gobbo
- Allan Corduner as Tubal
- Anton Rodgers as The Duke
- David Harewood as Prince of Morocco
- Jules Werner as Franciscan Friar
Reception
The Merchant of Venice received generally positive reviews, with a favourable rating of 72% at Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 63/100 at Metacritic.[4][5] Most critics praised both the interpretation of the Shylock character by Michael Radford and Al Pacino[2] and the dark, realistic look of the streets of Venice, for which production designer Bruno Rubeo was honoured by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.
In 2005, the film had a Royal Premiere in the presence of Prince Charles and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Costume Design.
Its worldwide theatrical gross was about $21.3 million, with a production budget of $30 million.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 The Merchant of Venice at Box Office Mojo
- 1 2 Podgorski, Daniel (November 5, 2015). "Remakes are Not your Enemy: Analyzing a Scene from Michael Radford’s Film Version of The Merchant of Venice". The Gemsbok. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ↑ Radford, Michael (2004). "Shakespeare and the Jews". Landmark Theatres. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
- ↑ "William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ↑ "The Merchant of Venice Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
External links
- The Merchant of Venice at the Internet Movie Database
- The Merchant of Venice at AllMovie
- The Merchant of Venice at Box Office Mojo
- The Merchant of Venice at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Merchant of Venice at Metacritic
- The Merchant of Venice 2004 at Movies.wiinkz.com
- Interview with director Michael Radford, and actors Al Pacino & Jeremy Irons on Charlie Rose
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