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PLOT: In 16th century Venice, Antonio, a nobleman, borrows from Shylock, a local Jewish moneylender. Shylock has not forgotten past insults from Antonio and so he puts a hefty pay-back on the loan. Antonio borrows from Shylock to give money to his friend Bassanio, so Bassanio can suit up to woo Portia, an heiress. Then Portia has to cleverly save everyone's bacon, because girls rule.
Let's begin with the usual arguments:
1) Purists will hate this under any circumstances;
2) Shylock is an anti-semitic character;
3) Shakespeare didn't really write this anyway;
4) And if he did, nobody gets to mess with the Bard's words;
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5) Al Pacino?
6) Your other huge artistic objection here.
Okay? Glad that's over with.
William Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice is a delightful two-hours-plus at the movies -- brisk, smart, funny, tragic and sometimes downright thrilling. You'll laugh, you'll cry, etc.
But please don't expect miracles. The play's flaws are still present, although the Shylock issue is handled in an interesting fashion.
The Merchant of Venice begins with historical detail about how Jews had to live in 16th century Venice. The intolerance is spelled out -- Jews are mocked and attacked in the street, and here is Antonio spitting at Shylock, a Jewish moneylender.
Shylock becomes a sympathetic character in this Merchant; Al Pacino is surprisingly good in the role. Antonio (Jeremy Irons) is rich, but all his money is tied up in ships at sea. His young friend Bassanio asks for a loan to go courting the heiress Portia, but Antonio has no money to lend Bassanio.
And so Antonio goes to Shylock to borrow on his friend's behalf. Based on their past history, Shylock says okay -- but if Antonio defaults on the loan, Shylock gets to take a pound of his flesh. Yet again, Antonio fails to ask, "What am I? Chopped Liver?" an oversight scholars suggest prevented The Merchant of Venice from being Shakespeare's greatest comedy. Oh, never mind.
The delight involved in hearing Shakespeare's words (more or less -- there's been a bit of tweaking here) delivered with gusto is likely the biggest draw in this Merchant Of Venice. Also, the movie is beautiful to look at -- the cinematography may be the true star of the film. Joseph Fiennes, as usual, acts with his eyelashes in the role of Bassanio and Lynn Collins is fairly forgettable as Portia. Nonetheless, things are rarely dull. Not counting the last act.
Between suitors guessing which casket to choose, the elopement of Shylock's daughter, girls dressed as men, bare-breasted courtesans, that hint o'gay thing going on between Antonio and Bassanio and all the rest of it, The Merchant Of Venice could be viewed as just another episode of Sex And The City.
Or not.
Anyway, you could do worse at the movies.
(This film is rated PG)