Josh Hartnett Was at His Devilish, Villainous Best in a Controversial William Shakespeare Adaptation Roger Ebert Called “Powerful”
One of the greatest aspects of William Shakespeare’s work is that his most famous plays can be adapted countless times in different forms of media, as they speak to universal themes that never wane in relevance. Othello is one of the quintessential tragedies in Shakespeare’s legacy, as it tells a timeless story of race, power, lust, and ambition; while Orson Welles and Oliver Parker both directed terrific adaptations that were more straightforward, Tim Blake Nelson crafted a much different interaction that took the medieval power struggle and set it within the confines of a prestigious preparatory high school. Josh Hartnett gives one of the most complex, yet despicable performances of his career in O, a film that Roger Ebert would refer to as “powerful.”
What Is ‘O’ About?
O stars Mekhi Phifer as the promising young basketball star Odin James, who is based on the character of General Othello. While he is the only Black student at an upper-class high school, Odin is quite popular and is awarded the “Most Valuable Player” award by Coach Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen). Hartnett stars as Duke’s son Hugo, who was inspired by the character of Iago from Othello. While Hugo had considered Odin to be a friend, he grows frustrated when he is snubbed during a speech given to the rest of the high school class; Hugo also grows frustrated with his father, as Goulding has spent so much time mentoring Odin that he has forgotten about his own son. In order to get revenge, Hugo creates a scenario in which Odin’s best friend, Michael Cassio (Andrew Keegan), is dejected from the team. Hugo convinces Michael to befriend Odin’s girlfriend, Desi (Julia Stiles), in order to get reinstated; at the same time, he plants seeds in Odin’s mind that Desi and Michael are having an affair.
Othello is a story that warns about the dangers of pride, and Hartnett shows how Hugo is able to subtly influence each of the other main characters by appealing to their vulnerabilities. Although Hugo has grown infuriated that he is not given the credit he deserves for being an important member of the team, he leans into the notion that he is a “universal best friend” and that anyone can look to him for advice. Hugo’s ability to plant radical ideas within his friends’ minds is quite spooky, as Hartnett shows a more intelligent side to his villainy. While O recontextualizes the political intrigue that made the original text such an important piece of literature, Nelson’s film also acknowledges that its characters are petty, hormonal high school students who don’t know how to deal with their feelings.
Josh Hartnett Brings Depth to the Role of Iago in ‘O'
Although Iago is a character that is generally depicted as an unnecessarily cruel, mustache-twirling antagonist, Hartnett is able to depict Hugo in a slightly empathetic light. It is evident that Hugo feels betrayed by Odin, as he had given him support without ever asking for anything in return; more critically, he feels that his father only cares about the success of his athletes and does not take pride in anything that Hugo has accomplished as an individual. One of the most upsetting scenes in the film involves Hugo speaking with pride about his grades to his father, only for the conversation to be diverted to discuss Odin’s performance in a recent match. This adds a complexity to the revenge story; while Hugo wants Odin to be shamed, he also wants to tear him down in front of his father so that he can prove that he was always the more worthy son.
As Ebert noted in his review, O incited some controversy over its depiction of teenage violence, as some pundits found the content to be disrespectful in the wake of the Columbine tragedy. However, O was able to show how easily impressionable teenagers were and indicated that they were capable of manipulation and violence if their mental health was not taken care of. Hartnett’s performance was not only a brilliant reinterpretation of one of Shakespeare’s most detestable and villainous characters, but also a relevant examination of the trauma, pressure, and cynicism that had infected an entire generation of young people.
