The Merchant of Venice (1973)

V-003331 / G / GB / 1973 / Sichel, John / / TV drama

Merchant of Venice, The / Venetsian kauppias. PC: ATV Network. An ITC release. EX: Cecil Clarke. P: Jonathan Miller. D+SC: John Sichel - from the play by William Shakespeare. Based on Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre From England production. M: Carl Davis. CAST: Laurence Olivier (Shylock), Joan Plowright (Portia), Jeremy Brett (Bassanio), Anthony Nicholls (Antonio), Louise Purnell (Jessica). 128’ at PAL speed. DIST: Finnkino. Big screen projection of a timecoded VHS video at VET, Helsinki, Tuesday, 30 September 1997. *** A powerful and moving interpretation of the play with Laurence Olivier as a tragic Shylock and Joan Plowright as the cunning Portia. Portia is the winner, first with her three caskets: the gold casket of death, the silver casket with the mirror and the lead casket of love. Then, masquerading as the attorney, she saves Antonio, the Merchant of Venice, from having to give up his pound of flesh to Shylock. As Shylock perishes utterly, the flow of sympathy moves to his side even while we watch the victors rejoice. The final image is of Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, crying as a haunting Kaddish is heard on the soundtrack.