Arts 11 Life Al Pacino and filmmaker. Michael _Radford: "When you first read ("Merchant'], there's so much anti-Semitic language in it that it just sticks in your throat," says Radford. SHYLOCK ON SCREEN from page 43

being a Jew and a moneylender. Angeles and London, "I had to be specific because otherwise most of the whose life transcends people out there have no idea what the concept of borders. His father was a usury is," Radford explains. "You go to a bank; you British officer based in borrow money; you pay interest. The thought that it India, descended from a was forbidden is a concept you have to get across. long line of military Otherwise the play makes no sense." men. Radford's mother was an Austrian Jew on course to swim in the Beyond Religion 1940 Olympics, until the As a result of being true to the text, Radford frets, Anschluss precipitated her audiences will see Merchant solely as a Christian- dismissal from the team Jewish tale. in 1936 and convinced "It's about the way we live in a multicultural socie- her father to move the you tolerate this stuff, because you have your own ty and the way that we treat each other," he declares. family to Bombay. community. "We're no longer in the 20th century, and the world "I have to say, I didn't grow up with any Jewish "When he sees his daughter run off, that's when it has changed. Yes, there are anti-Semitic movements culture," says Radford, who was born in New Delhi. all breaks down for him. He experiences a rage, which still and we have to beware of those, but we have to "Once I asked my mother why, and she just said, is uncontrollable. It's not Jewish, it's human." beware of them in the way we have to beware of all `I've seen so much done in the name of religion, I'm ❑ racial intolerance, not just specifically Jewish histo- not interested.'" ry.,, William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Radford was the toast of the film world a decade rated R, screens 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and ago for II Postino ("The Postman"), the Italian film _About Shylock Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18-20, at the that garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Shylock has seen more than his share, also, and has Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Director and countless other prizes. So he likely endured the burden of living in a ghetto. Arts. $7.50/$6.50 DIA members, senior citi- expected to get the benefit of any doubts about a "I see Shylock as a man whose dignity is constant- zens and students. (313) 833-3237. The film Merchant film. ly affronted in his life," Radford asserts. "He can will then play at the Uptown Birmingham 8. He's also an internationalist, with homes in Los take it, and all the other [Jews] can, too. That's how From Serpico To Shylock Al Pacino takes on Shakespeare's notorious moneylender.

IVOR DAVIS tations of the most famous anti-Semitic stereotype in come away with. Featurewegcorn literature. Having Pacino in the lead guarantees attention will Q: Because of the history of this play and the rise of ichael Corleone has taken a crack at be paid. At 64, the actor is one of the few movie names anti- Semitism around the world today, can Merchant Shylock. Oscar winner Al Pacino — always that command instant respect, part of not be seen as some kind of a provo- M a daring actor — steps into the shoes of an elite band that includes Brando, cation? Shakespeare's most notorious moneylender in the latest Garbo, De Niro, Streep, all known A: I never had a desire to do Merchant big-screen version of the Bard's classic The Merchant of simply by their last name. of Venice for a lot of reasons, but cer- Venice. He first tackled Shakespeare on film tainly I just couldn't quite see the Tom Tugend, film critic of the Jewish Journal of in 1996 as Richard III in Looking for character. I saw some great perform- Greater Los Angeles, called Pacino's portrayal "a complex Richard Last year, he played another ances done, but I myself had no rela- heart-wrenching portrait" and notes: "He has elevated controversial Jew, the despicable lawyer tionship to it. But then I read Michael Shylock from a two-dimensional vengeful villain to a Roy Cohn, in the award winning Radford's text, and I thought I under- fully fleshed, tortured and humiliated human being." miniseries Angels in America. stood somehow where Shylock was Sony Picture Classics, which is distributing the film, coining from. is releasing it carefully, aware that in today's global cli- Q: How do you view Shylock? I thought that he made a case for mate of mounting anti-Semitism, it could be used to A: I see him as more sinned against Shylock, and in doing that I was able stir hatred. Aware that the film follows closely on Mel than sinning. When I chart the history to see the other elements of the char- Gibson's Jesus bloodbath, Sony is sensitive to interpre- of this character, when I go into his Al Pacino as Shylock: "I acter, those human elements. I started life and his conditions, that's what I thought, can play this." to understand his motivation, and

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