Merchant of Venice, The (2004)

...have sometimes argued that “The Merchant of Venice” is really “The Tragedy of Shylock”. In Michael Radford’s new film a powerhouse performance from Al Pacino comes very close to vindicating this view, eventually only given the lie by Shylock’s vindictive bloodthirstiness in insisting on his “bond” – a pound of flesh from the defaulter’s guarantor which he wishes to cut (conveniently) from the heart.

But that is the denouement, why ...
...people. This version of “The Merchant of Venice” is not saying anything new or speaking to our times in particular. It is just a convenient excuse to make the best film yet of this play and that, to me, is excuse enough!

The story of the Jewish merchant who is hated and spat on and then gains the upper hand over one of his tormentors is well known, and has been documented by other reviewers on this site. In order for the dramatic narrative ... more

Shakespearean commentators have sometimes argued that “The Merchant of Venice” is really “The Tragedy of Shylock”. In Michael Radford’s new film a powerhouse performance from Al Pacino comes very close to vindicating this view, eventually only given the lie by Shylock’s vindictive bloodthirstiness in insisting on his “bond” – a pound of flesh from the defaulter’s guarantor which he wishes to cut (conveniently) from the heart.

But that is the denouement, why make this film in the first place? Well, as any student of the theatre knows Shakespeare is there to be interpreted. His plays say different things at different times to different people. This version of “The Merchant of Venice” is not saying anything new or speaking to our times in particular. It is just a convenient excuse to make the best film yet of this play and that, to me, is excuse enough!

The story of the Jewish merchant who is hated and spat on and then gains the upper hand over one of his tormentors is well known, and has been documented by other reviewers on this site. In order for the dramatic narrative to work love story is introduced where Bassanio, a ne’er-do-well younger chum of the merchant Antonio, needs to be loaned substantial funds in order to charm the pants off a rich, beautiful heiress called Portia. He also needs to undertake a test (a bit like “Millionaire) involving selecting the correct casket to find the key to her heart.

Clearly at the time scriptwriters were less fussy, in modern times it would not be credible to find an entrepreneur tying up all his funds in hazardous ventures and on top of this to guarantee a madcap adventure to win somebody’s hand. This is precisely what Antonio does. Neither would the pound of flesh surety be accepted by any court. But they were other times and this is a play after all.

As stated earlier Al Pacino is immense as Shylock the Jewish moneylender. Whether showing us his pain at being misused, and at his daughter’s elopement with a Christian, his anger and his stubbornness. Delivery, facial expressions, body language….all are brought to play to create a marvellous performance which is worth the ticket money by itself. Jeremy Irons is a convincing, aloof Antonio, there is more than a hint of homoeroticism in his relationship with Bassanio (a suitably dashing Joseph Fiennes) which may go some way to explaining why he would risk so much for him.

Lynn Collins as Portia has a difficult task. Although often lauded as one of Shakespeare’s better female parts, the combination of virgin ingénue and intelligent stand-in lawyer is not easy to effect. She just about gets away with it but is better at the romantic side of things than the trial scene.

The final scenes involving the banter between Portia and her maid and their two lovers is, I have always thought, redundant. The lovers gave the rings they had promised to the lawyer (Portia) who defended Antonio and his assistant despite having promised never to part with them is unnecessary but it is in the script. I suppose it justified the play’s description as a “comedy”.

Any film set in Venice has a headstart and this is no exception. The photography and scenery combines to create a tremendously convincing backdrop to the plot. I always wonder how it is possible to film in Venice and not catch a single tourist in the shots but of course they manage it.

My view of this film is therefore that it is a must-see for anyone who does not object to Shakespearean language. It is not visually set in modern times such as Baz Luhrmann’s wonderful “Romeo and Juliet” or even Ian Mckellen’s 1930s’ “Richard III” but it is a visual feast and the acting is delectable. See it, but don’t complain that the language is Elizabethan, it is the real thing not a modernised sanitised version.
 

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