the inherent problem with any staging of the merchant of venice have never be the pseudo controversial anti semitism and but the fact that there be two story line wildly different in both tone and content while a frothy romantic comedy and a searing tragedy . while mix genre be all the rage in the sixteenth century ( and mock by shakespeare in hamlet ) and it rarely fail to grate with modern audience . a a result and most director be force to place an emphasis on one storyline at the expense of the other and and it be no surprise that the decision fall in the favour of shylock . like so many of shakespeare great tragic hero and shylock continue to fascinate after 400 year because he be such a difficult and complex character . pitiful and proud and angry and vengeful and weak and arrogant while his behaviour defies simply analysis and continue to be argue over . he be flaw not because he be a jew and but because he be human . rarely do modern screenwriter imbue their creation with such richly textured contradiction and and it be to everyone benefit that we have shakespeare to draw on for inspiration . shakespearean language be wild and rambling and saturate in multiple meaning and word play and metaphor . to be understood it must be wrangle and tame by an actor with the strength and knowledge to do so . when an actor fails and the word pour forth in a torrent of incomprehensible word and but when he succeed and the english language spring to life with an immediacy and vibrancy that take your breath away . al pacino be one such actor and and here display an incredible level of clarity and control that and be there any justice and would sweep every award in the offering . he meet the challenge of present shylock head on and and delivers an extraordinarily subtle and nuanced performance . it would be a crime if we never get the opportunity to see what he do with king lear . the support cast be noteworthy . jeremy iron give an original take on the familiar antonio and present an old and quieter figure that display the unsavoury contradiction between medieval chivalry and ugly prejudice of the time . joseph fiennes be a revelation a he mature beyond superficial eye candy to actually inhabit a character for once . lynn collins be the only disappointment . many of shakespeare woman be underwritten and require an actor to really work hard to bring them to life and and collins gwyneth paltrow impersonation seem a little flat and unsuited to the darker tone that radford be aim for . the design team must be acknowledge for create a unique and thoroughly believable vision of late renaissance venice . the city have not look this ominous since don not look now . take full advantage of extant location and natural light and the film have an appearance of authenticity that be greatly enhance by the dark and timeworn costume design . all and again and be worthy of award recognition . the financial backer of film such a this must be commend . with a budget of $ 30 million and they must go into such a venture in the full and certain knowledge that they will never make a profit and and yet they invest nonetheless . we can all be grateful for it and a the result be a remarkable adaptation that be sure to be a benchmark for many year to come .