Film Fund Luxembourg
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The Merchant of Venice
Venice, 1596. Bassanio begs his friend Antonio, a prosperous merchant, to lend him a large sum of money so that he can woo Portia, a very wealthy heiress; but Antonio has invested his fortune abroad, so they turn to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, and ask him for a loan.
- Original title
- The Merchant of Venice
- Language
- EN
- Country
- US,GB
- Budget
- $30,000,000
- Revenue
- $21,600,000
CinemaSerf
Jan 25, 2026 · via TMDB
As the 16th century looms large, the loved up “Bassanio” (Joseph Fiennes) approaches his wealthy merchant friend “Antonio” (Jeremy Irons) for a loan. You see, he wants to impress “Portia” (Lynn Collins) to the tune of 3,000 ducats. Unfortunately, his friend is already heavily invested elsewhere and cannot oblige, but he does agree to stand surety for a loan from “Shylock” (Al Pacino). This loan isn’t secured in any traditional sense, however. The lender, a Jew, is weary of being treated harshly by those in power in Venice, including by “Antonio” and so demands that in the event of default, he is to receive one pound of flesh from the guarantor. Despite reservations from “Bassanio” the deal is duly notarised. Of course, with the best laid plans often going wrong, both “Antonio” and “Shylock” find themselves having to deal with some unforeseen circumstances that see “Shylock” robbed by his own daughter “Jessica” (Zuleikha Robinson) whilst much of the merchant’s investment ends up at the bottom of the sea. Unable to repay his debt, the moneylender seeks retribution from the court. With all seemingly watertight, is there any way to spare the Venetian from his fate? I’ve always liked this play, and perhaps wrongly I’ve always felt a little pity for the shrewd “Shylock”. In this colourful and sumptuous adaptation, Al Pacino’s measured performance helps to reinforce my belief that it is and was he who was wronged all along here, and that “Antonio” - played well enough by Irons - would have deserved all he got! Fiennes is typically boyish and insipid, but the remainder of this recognisable and largely British cast deliver adequately even if there are no really stellar efforts. It's particularly the courtroom scenes that allow the tension to rise palpably as Shakespeare introduces some fairly potent questions about intrigue, vengeance, responsibility and loyalty. Sure, at times it has something of the “Shakespeare in Love” (1998) to it’s look and to some of it’s casting, but this is still a decent telling of a story that epitomises the expression “neither a borrower nor a lender be”.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Al Pacino
Shylock
Jeremy Irons
Antonio
Joseph Fiennes
Bassanio
Lynn Collins
Portia
Zuleikha Robinson
Jessica
Kris Marshall
Gratiano
Charlie Cox
Lorenzo
Heather Goldenhersh
Nerissa
Mackenzie Crook
Lancelot Gobbo
John Sessions
Salerio
Gregor Fisher
Solanio
Ron Cook
Old Gobbo
Allan Corduner
Tubal
Anton Rodgers
The Duke
David Harewood
Prince of Morocco
Antonio Gil
Aragon
Al Weaver
Stephano
Jean-François Wolff
German Count
Jules Werner
Franciscan Friar
Tony Schiena
Leonardo
Julian Nest
Clerk
Benoît Delhomme
Director of Photography
Sammy Sheldon
Costume Designer
Michael Radford
Director
Lucia Zucchetti
Editor
Peter James
Executive Producer
Cary Brokaw
Producer
Jocelyn Pook
Original Music Composer
Michael Radford
Screenplay
William Shakespeare
Theatre Play
Bride of the Orient
Una China Poblana
Seven Samurai
The Béarnaise Girl
Jean Moulin, une affaire française
To Be or Not to Be
The Celebration
A Season of Giants
The Off-Road Girl
Lucky Number Slevin
Hamlet
Live and Become
The Best of Enemies
Trouble in Paradise
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
The Great Debaters
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Sea Hawk
Scum
Ragtime
Hello, Dolly!
Jacob the Liar
A Christmas Carol
Lady Jane
Lady Sings the Blues
The Fence
The Taming of the Shrew
The Young Lions
Aimée & Jaguar
Bleeder
Jakob the Liar
Liberty Heights
Rosewood
Mary Queen of Scots
On Moonlight Bay
Mississippi Masala
Italian for Beginners
Confessions of Felix Krull
Naked Among Wolves
Skin
Date Masamune the One-Eyed Dragon
Mad Love
The Slingshot
Giacomo Casanova: Childhood and Adolescence
Edmond
We of the Never Never
The Rat Pack
Uproar
Their Eyes Were Watching God
The Last Shift
Two Gentlemen Sharing
Ask the Dust
Iron & Blood: The Legend of Taras Bulba
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
Nest of Vipers
The Swordsman of Siena
The Kiss
Sista in the Brotherhood
Toxic: A Black Woman's Story
Brownies
Pride & Prejudice
Cabrini
Until Forever
The Best of Me
Breathe
Great Expectations
The Great Gatsby
Out of Africa
Far from the Madding Crowd
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film
West Side Story
The Ultimate Life
Endless Love
Jane Eyre
The Fugitive Kind
The Lost Husband
Nobody Has to Know
Wuthering Heights
The Sleeping Dictionary
Ali and Nino
Great Expectations
Departure
The Happy Prince
The Tourist
Anna Karenina
Blind
When Nietzsche Wept
The Portrait of a Lady
The Object of My Affection
Sep 3, 2004
Telluride Film Festival
Dec 29, 2004
