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Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins, Zuleikha Robinson ... see more see more... , Kris Marshall , Charlie Cox , Heather Goldenhersh , MacKenzie Crook , John Sessions , Gregor Fisher , Ron Cook , Alan Corduner , Anton Rodgers , David Harewood , Antonio Gil-Martinez , Allan Corduner

One of William Shakespeare's most powerful comedies has been given a bold cinematic adaptation in this film version of The Merchant of Venice. Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes) is a young and vital member of ... read more read more...the aristocratic classes in 16th century Italy; however, Bassanio's impulsive nature and lavish lifestyle have put him deeply in debt, and he will need at least the pretense of a fortune if he is to win the hand of the beautiful Portia (Lynn Collins). Bassanio turns to his close friend Antonio (Jeremy Irons), a successful businessman, for financial help, but with much of his fortune tied up in a sailing expedition, Antonio can do little to help him. To help Bassanio, Antonio turns to Shylock (Al Pacino), a Jewish money lender who lives in Venice's Semetic ghetto. Antonio has often expressed his contempt for Shylock, who charges high rates for his loans, and Shylock clearly seems pleased at the ironic prospect of having Antonio as a customer; however, instead of interest, Shylock demands an unusual security on his loan -- though Shylock demands no interest, if Antonio does not repay the three thousand ducats in three months, Shylock will be entitled to a pound of his flesh. This version of The Merchant of Venice was directed by Michael Radford, best known for the international hit Il Postino, and was shot on locations in Venice and Luxembourg. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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72% liked it

19,064 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

124 critics

R, 2 hr. 11 min.

Directed by: Michael Radford

Release Date: December 29, 2004

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DVD Release Date: May 10, 2005

Stats: 945 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (945)

  • SirPant
    March 31, 2011
    SirPant
    I've got a bit of a love/hate thing going on when it comes to Shakespeare. The Merchant of Venice is one of his that is in the middle for me though because I don't like the story and It comes under the 'Women pretending to be men' category which is firmly in the 'hate' section bu... read moret then I really like the character of Shylock. I have always thought the story should end with the court scene and watching it on film only confirms this for me. So in some respects it's an honest adaptation. It looks good most of the time although I spotted a couple of unforgivable fake moustaches (and I don't mean on the women). The acting is also very hit and miss. Jeremy Irons is classically trained and he knows how to do Shakespeare justice, as does John Sessions and a few others who are well practised in the Bards work. Al Pacino's performance is very good to, although I wasn't so sure at first. His does end up being the only good reason to watch though as others stink up Shakespeare to high heaven. Kris Marshall makes it look like a pantomime but then look what happened to his much hyped future career. Joseph Fiennes was obviously cast as a safety net after the success of Shakespeare in Love but his performance was about as safe as an asbestos gum shield. I can only imagine Lynn Collins was cast because Gwyneth Paltrow was busy. Not my favourite Shakespeare play with an equally unlikable film -stating that persecution of the Jews was rife in the 1600's doesn't make me enjoy watching it or make me feel like I'm watching an important piece of history, so for those reasons I can't recommend.
  • allan913
    January 6, 2008
    allan913
    This is a work of art. A fantastic piece of Shakespears work. Al Pacino is brilliant. An outstanding and unforgettable performance.
  • michaelneumann
    February 22, 2005
    michaelneumann
    The world was raising. Thunderous canyons shot from below to meet my footsteps. Forests rose and died behind my back. Birds evolved and turned to dust before me. The sky was fire and shadow, and it covered the sun like a closing fist. My hair was a wild brown spirit dancing in th... read moree tempest. My consciousness tore apart into a thousand different pieces, each shot itself like a rocketship to a thousand stars. The moon crashed into the earth. Humanity begged to be. Civilization threw its hands up. Existence screamed.

    My body is an auditorium. Memory is music fading, acoustics wearing.

    Starlight is taxed. Clouds rule the universe. The bridges I walk end before they begin. All the islands and planets are sinking. An air just above me is a melancholy fragrance, and yellowness stains reality. The madness of my flesh is annihilated. I am just a tangle of wires choking a soul, stranded in a breath and under the dead mountains. The edge is deep. I let go, and fall back into a flock of glimmering crystal angels. I dream that they are building me beautiful white wings.
  • gator681
    February 13, 2005
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic][color=red]First off, I want to mention that it usually takes me a couple of versions to get fully versed to a Shakespeare play. And I had not seen a version of "The Merchant of Venice" before. Now, I knew about the accusations of anti-semitism and having s... read moreeen "Theatre of Blood"(1973), I had also heard about the pound of flesh.[/color][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][color=#ff0000][/color][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][color=#ff0000]"The Merchant of Venice" starts out in Venice, 1596 and there are grave restrictions against the Jewish community. Bassanio(Joseph Fiennes) is looking to his friend, Antonio(Jeremy Irons) to settle his debts, so he can woo the lovely, Portia.(Lynn Collins) So, Bassanio goes off to the First National Bank of Shylock(Al Pacino) for a loan of 3000 Ducats and uses Antonio to guarantee the debt. Antonio is confident he can pay Shylock back, since he is expecting heavy returns on investments he has just made. If not, then the debt is to be repaid with a pound of flesh...[/color][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][color=#ff0000][/color][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][color=#ff0000]This is certainly great looking and it is well acted. I did not care for the story's ending, though.[/color][/font]
  • michaelcorleone
    November 2, 2006
    michaelcorleone
    A glossy, effective adaptation filled with impressive performances. Pacino stands out in one of his best to date. An unfairly overlooked gem.
  • simeondeutsch1
    April 24, 2011
    simeondeutsch1
    The problem with this movie is that it focuses far too much on the antisemitism of late 16th century Venice and not nearly enough on Shakespeare's material, which is why this movie shouldn't've been made in the first place: because starting the film with explaining how there was ... read morea strong prejudice against Jews certainly sets the comedic mood at a abysmal low for what Shakespeare considered to be a whimsical comedy, and if they hadn't justified the antisemitism then it would've been extremely offending. At any rate, Shakespeare intended the humor to be in the antisemitism against Shylock (Al Pacino), and since there's no reason why we should find that funny nowadays; there's no reason they should've made this film. I mean there are things that work by focusing more on the period than the substance-- like Gladiator or the HBO series "Rome"-- but the fact of the matter is that this is goddamn Shakespeare and having grimy period piece set design and grizzly voiced British actors doesn't make the mark! Jeremy Irons is pretty good though, and Al Pacino essentially rehashes his character from Glengarry Glen Ross just so he can burst during the "If you prick us, do we not bleed" monologue. Recommended if you're teaching a high school English class and you want your students to see a respectable staging. Otherwise, I'd skip it. 62/100
  • Dracula787
    May 16, 2009
    Dracula787
    This film is a very faithful adaptation of the Shakespeare play. It?s set in the original period, the text hasn?t been cut very much, and very little has been re-envisioned. It is perhaps most notable for the performance of Al Pacino as Shylock. While I wouldn?t quite call his... read more work brilliant, he clearly does at least give a damn here and he never falls back on that autopilot persona he seems to rely on recently. Theoretically, this has the makings of a great Shakespeare adaptation here, and yet this never quite achieves greatness. Frankly, I think this is one of the rare cases where Shakespeare lets the adaptation down rather than the reverse. The Merchant of Venice is a play that oddly shifts between high drama and farcical comedy, the first third is light, the second act is dark, and then it all devolves into uninteresting relationship antics in the end.
  • ileo
    December 23, 2007
    ileo
    Great!
  • kevsammal
    April 16, 2007
    kevsammal
    Everytime you cast Jeremy Irons or Kenneth Branaugh in a Shakespearean play, the film is critically successful. But if you include an on-screen wuss like Joseph Fiennes and expect his masculinity to soar, you're sadly mistaken. Pacino as Shylock is well-suited, although Fiennes... read more seriously might want to consider having his penis transformed into a fake vagina (after seeing his wussed-out performance).
  • ualush
    January 10, 2007
    ualush
    If you're not a fan of Shakespeare, watch if you're a fan of Pacino. Some of his best acting since the DDA, Serpico, And Justice For All and Godfather days, excluding the recent Angels in America, awesome acting there too.

View All William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice Reviews

Critic Reviews

David Rooney
July 4, 2008
David Rooney, Variety

Pacino is at least dynamic, something harder to say about the women in the cast. Full Review

Richard Nilsen
March 10, 2005
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

Radford has rendered off the comedy to find the dramatic skeleton underneath. It is an approach that works stunningly well and is perhaps the only way the play can now be done. Full Review

Roger Moore
February 25, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A vivid, engrossing and defensible Shakespeare adaptation, a period piece that truly has a feel for a time long past -- and a place and attitude that are not. Full Review

Lawrence B. Johnson
February 18, 2005
Lawrence B. Johnson, Detroit News

Pacino's stentorian delivery and punctuating hands are almost parodistic, as likely to draw a chuckle as to elicit empathy.

Terry Lawson
February 18, 2005
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Radford remains fairly reverent toward the text and the intent. Full Review

Eric Harrison
February 4, 2005
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle

Ranks as one of the most powerful recent adaptations of the bard's work. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
February 4, 2005
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Radford makes the most of Venice's dark, entangling corners, and Merchant certainly has its better moments, even if its melange of acting styles and directorial intentions don't quite build into a tot...

Lisa Kennedy
February 4, 2005
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Balanced, beguiling -- even funny. Full Review

Jeff Strickler
February 3, 2005
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The give-and-take between the two veterans [Pacino and Irons] is a delight to witness. Full Review

Philip Kennicott
January 28, 2005
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post

For lovers of the play's language ... the losses will hurt. But as cinematic storytelling, it works. Full Review

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