Merchant of Venice Movie Review
Differences Between the 2004 Film and Shakespeare's Play
The director stays close to the original script; however he takes the liberty of portraying the character of Shylock to be less evil than does Shakespeare.
In Act I, Scene 3 of the movie scene, Bassanio comes to Shylock (Al Pacino) asking for a loan for which his good friend Antonio will be indebted. In the film, Bossanio meets Shylock in a bustling marketplace while Shylock is shopping for food.
Foreshadowing in Merchant of Venice
Once Shylock is told that Antonio will be in debt to him, he goes on the recite lines from Shakespeare play while buying a pound of meat from a merchant. The meat is cut while Shylock talks of Antonio’s ships and goods and possible inability to pay back the loan, then it is placed on a scale and matched with a one pound weight. This act could be seen as subtle and not noteworthy if the audience had never read the play. It looks like two men discussing business while one is shopping and not a foreshadow of the agreement to come.
Al Pacino Portrays a Softer Shylock
Once Shylock pays the merchant, Antonia (Joseph Fiennes) arrives by gondola and Bassanio goes to meet him. Shylock’s original soliloquy here is cut dramatically in the film. Shylock only grimaces and mutters a few inaudible lines of disgust about Antonio before the pair return to him. Without this soliloquy Shylock seems much less sinister than in the play.
The audience has more sympathy for Shylock in the film version at this point. The film is portrayed with heavy dramatic elements and nearly no comedic elements. It feels much more serious than the play, which is categorized as a comedy.
Shylock Not So Vengeful in Radford’s Script
Once Bassanio brings Antonio to Shylock, the trio exits the marketplace and enters Shylock’s home. Shylock sets the pound of meat on the desk after agreeing to the bond. So far the script is followed fairly closely; however Bassanio sits down close to Shylock while Antonio paces Shylock’s room. This character placement gives the audience the idea that Bassanio is more supportive of Shylock and he seems more desperate for the money than he does in the 1596 play.
Al Pacino’s Shylock More “Humanized”
Shylock looks over the interest numbers then looks at his pound of meat. It’s as if the idea of some kind of revenge comes to him right at this moment, instead of him plotting it since the beginning of his conversation with Bassanio as in the play. At this moment Shylock goes on to give Antonio a speech including instances of anti-Semitism from Antonio. After this speech, Antonio responds with anger, not comedy as is insinuated in the play, stating that Shylock would get more joy out of exacting penalty from an enemy than a friend. One gets the sense that Shylock is old and has dealt with an unfair amount of hassle during his life as a Jew.
Clearly Michael Radford didn’t want to villainize Shylock as much as Shakespeare. His point was to give Shylock a more humane portrayal throughout the film.
