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Pacino aids latest Shakespeare rehash, but rest of film falls flat
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Michael Radford directs a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Starring Al Pacino as Shylock and Jeremy Irons as Antonio, the film confronts the anti-Semitic tone that flows throughout the original play.
The young Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes) needs 3,000 ducats to pursue the object of his affection, the wealthy Portia (Lynn Collins). He looks to his friend Antonio for the money, who is unable to supply it. Instead, Antonio borrows from Shylock, despite the tension between them, and gives the loan to Bassanio. The contract between them specifies that Shylock will be repaid on time, or he will take a pound of flesh from Antonio as payment.
Meanwhile, Portia is currently in the process of being suited for marriage. Each potential suitor must choose one of three caskets, which if chosen correctly, will enable them to receive Portia’s hand in marriage.
After Bassanio chooses correctly, he marries Portia, but a messenger arrives to inform them Antonio’s merchant ships have been destroyed. Antonio’s default on the loan opens the door for Shylock to exact the revenge he feels necessary as a Jew, by getting a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
While the Shakespeare play is a comedy, the rough-edged subject of anti-Semitism makes it hard for any revision to leave a resounding good taste in your mouth. This might explain why the current version seems more like a general exercise on Shakespeare adaptation than a resonant accomplishment.
Despite shining in films like “Elizabeth” and “Shakespeare in Love,” Joseph Fiennes’ performance as Bassanio is a bit bland. The best scenes come from Pacino’s rendition of Shylock’s famous “If you prick us, do we not bleed” speech, and the moment when Shylock is ready to take his payment of flesh, but these only serve as the heartbeat to the rest of the film’s general flatline.
“The Merchant of Venice” doesn’t capture the kind of expansiveness that is common to some Shakespeare adaptations, but it is capable of retelling one of his most difficult plays.
Eric Ravenscroft
Culture Writer
