Story Line: When political and racial considerations result in the promotion of British policeman John Othello (Walker) to Commissioner, his envious mentor and ostensible best friend, Ben Jago (Eccleston), plots to ruin him--not only by disgracing him in the workplace, but also by undermining his marriage to the beautiful Dessie (Hawes).
Bottom Line: This is the season for video releases of films updating Shakespeare's tragic drama, with Tim Blake Nelson's O on shelves already and this latest release. Of the two, this British-made production--which aired on Canadian TV--is more interesting, although it comes in a distant second when star power is considered. Walker is forceful and dynamic in the title role, though, and that fine character actor Eccleston is equally effective as the envious turncoat. Using a racially divided city as a backdrop for Sax's contemporized version was a canny move on the part of screenwriter Andrew Davies, and as a result this Othello has an edgy, gritty feel. The film is reasonably well done and should find a receptive audience, but without familiar names, you'll have to give it a boost, hope word-of-mouth is good and alert fans of everything Bard. --Ed Hulse