Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Admirable film.

Shakespeare would have given -1 to this movie. In this movie, Antonio and Bassanio have been portrayed as two bisexual men whereas Portia and Nerissa act like two high school girls, probably going through puberty.In Act I Scene 2, there were many comical parts but were not given much importance.Or even, in Act V Scene 1, Lorenzo and Jessica's exchange of 'On such a night',or their game of references to mythical and legendary nights have been omitted Yeah, I know it's a movie so everything can't be included, but, unnecessary parts too have been included, like many a times, women inadequately dressed, pass in front of the camera or like Prince of Arragon spitting on a container.Even Portia and Nerissa kiss! All in all,extremely disappointed.

The Merchant of Venice (2004): Dir: Michael Radford / Cast: Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins, Zuleikha Robinson: Powerful William Shakespeare adaptation about conquest that ultimately leads to self damnation. Jews are persecuted while Christianity dominates but Shylock agrees to lend Antonio money but through a sealed bond, which could result in a pound of his flesh if the bond is broken. His young friend Bassanio has fallen in love with Portia, which leads to Antonio's assistance through the bond. Perhaps the one argument that could be made is that of the forced religious views dealt out during crucial moments otherwise director Michael Radford establishes the look and time frame that are crucial to the viewpoint. As Shylock Pacino has suffered many losses but his anger afflicts him with his biggest loss. Jeremy Irons displays passion and love for Bassanio but reluctantly accepts consequences. Joseph Fiennes is well cast as Bassanio while Lynn Collins steals scenes as the resourceful Portia whose wit comes through during a clever cross exam. Other roles are not so broad and mainly seen as appearances exclusively. Here is one of the better Shakespeare adaptations produced that presents strong images of human excel. It also presents a strong theme regarding the downfall of revenge and how hate can ultimately destroy us. Score: 8 ½ / 10

Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (2004) was directed by Michael Radford, who also wrote the screenplay.This version of Merchant of Venice stars Al Pacino as Shylock, Jeremy Irons as Anonio (the merchant), Joseph Fiennes as Bassanio, Lynn Collings as Portia, and Juleikha Robinson as Jessica, Shylock's daughter.With an all-star cast like this, it is expected that production values will be high, and that is the case. Whereas the BBC version of Merchant--which I've also reviewed--is a bare bones production, this Merchant pulls out all the stops, with gondola rides, torchbearers, and exquisite consumes.That having been said, it's Shylock who dominates the play, and Pacino is a superb Shylock. If you have a great Shylock, everything else will fall into place.Of course, Pacino brings with him his persona--a proud man, a sensitive man, and a man quite capable of seeking a pound of flesh that is owed to him.It is painful to see Shylock's use and abuse of his new power, and his ultimate defeat and destruction at the hands of Portia, You feel how frustrating and humiliating it is for Shylock to be crushed and defeated despite his valid, although cruel, legal case. It is a great--if painful--movie moment.Note: As I wrote about the BBC's Merchant, The Merchant of Venice is classified as a comedy because most of the characters get married, and no one dies. The problem with that definition is that it forces us to call a play a comedy when it's tragic and not funny. ("Midsummer Night's Dream" is funny. It may have serious undertones, but it's funny. It really is a comedy.)However, I think we can change the category of the play, and still keep the definition intact. What happens to Shylock is tantamount to death for him. Even though three couples get married, and no bodies are carried off the stage, I think of this play (and the movie made from it) more as tragedy than as comedy. It's absolutely worth seeing, but certainly not for laughs.This film will really work better on the large screen than on DVD. However, I saw it on the small screen, and it was still powerful and definitely worth seeing. Seek it out and watch It. It will repay your time and effort.

This is a great popularized and verbally simplified version of Shakespeare for a wide audience with a top-notch cast. Especially Al Pacino's performance is genuinely moving, in his assuming the role of an embittered and torn old man, with superior feel for emotional shift and outstanding voice-acting. Lynn Collins also convinces with a good performance. The soundtrack is likable, light and strangely enchanting, and the scenery is beautiful.The movie does a great job of complicating the character of Shylock, and makes the viewer question his role as a victim or a villain. In the end, nobody will feel unmoved by the truly excellent and genuinely poignant court scene.The courting prices are shallow stereotypes and constitute the only kind of (unintentional) humour this otherwise dry movie brings. I do not understand the choice of not giving the play-appropriated importance and weight in consequence to the casket-scenes. This is strange, since the movie is clearly a dramatized version of the play, and else there is not much that distinguishes Portia from a common harlot when every man can come make his suit without consequence. It saddens me to see the superficiality of these scenes, because Shakespeare did provide more complex and sympathetic characters in the original.