The Merchant of Venice *** (2004, Al Pacino, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins, Jeremy Irons, Alan Corduner) – Classic Movie Review 6207

Writer-director Michael Radford’s much admired 2004 movie version of the William Shakespeare tragic play is gorgeously filmed where it is supposed to happen in Venice.

Al Pacino has a field day as the Merchant Shylock, charismatically bringing out the sympathetic, tragic, doomed nature of the character. Radford adapts the text flawlessly and directs with commanding power and feeling.

Lynn Collins is extremely effective as Portia, Joseph Fiennes is strong as Bassanio, Alan Corduner is excellent as Tubal and Jeremy Irons makes an outstanding job of the role of Antonio, though he was not Radford’s first choice. Ian McKellen quit for film scheduling reasons.

Radford recalls: ‘When Ian dropped out I suddenly thought of Jeremy, who is actually the perfect person because he has such a magnetic quality on screen and he has a kind of melancholy about him.’

It has 27 credited producers (!), among whom are Cary Brokaw, Michael Cowan, Barry Navidi and Jason Piette.

Also in the cast are Zuleikha Robinson, Kris Marshall, Charlie Cox, Mackenzie Crook as Launcelot Gobbo, Heather Goldenhersh, John Sessions, Gregor Fisher, Ron Cook, Anton Rodgers and David Harewood.

It is shot by Benoît Delhomme, scored by Jocelyn Pook and designed by Bruno Rubeo, with Bafta nominated costume designs by Sammy Sheldon.

The problem with making Shakespeare movies is cost against profit. This one cost $18 million and earned $3,765,000 in America.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6207

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