Richard III (1995)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Ian McKellen (writer) ...

Release Date:

29 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

What Is Worth Dying For... Is Worth Killing For.

Plot:

The classic Shakespearan play about a murderously scheming king staged in a alternative fascist England setting.

Plot Keywords:

1930s | William Shakespeare | Haunted By Own Murder Victim | Mistrust Of Husband | Resentment Toward Usurper

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Ian McKellen	...	Richard III
Annette Bening	...	Queen Elizabeth, wife of Edward IV
Jim Broadbent	...	Duke of Buckingham
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Lord Rivers
Nigel Hawthorne	...	George, Duke of Clarence
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Lady Anne
John Wood	...	King Edward IV
Maggie Smith	...	Duchess of York
Jim Carter	...	Lord Hastings
Edward Hardwicke	...	Lord Stanley
Adrian Dunbar	...	James Tyrell
Tres Hanley	...	Rivers' Mistress
Dominic West	...	Henry, Earl of Richmond
Roger Hammond	...	Archbishop
Tim McInnerny	...	Catesby

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Battersea Power Station, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Bayly/Paré Productions

Trivia:

Ian McKellen made Queen Elizabeth an American because this way, her family and herself could be seen as social-climbers, from commoners to royalties.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): As Richard finishes his dance with the queen (at the beginning) and they walk off the dance floor, the young prince slips and falls.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Prince of Wales: Goodnight Father.
King Henry: Goodnight son.
Prince of Wales: Goodnight your majesty.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Adam and Joe Show: (#1.3)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

I'm Sitting On The Top Of The World

The update to WW2 era works well

I think updating Shakespeare's plays to more modern eras can be a good idea, but attempts quite often fail due to "modernizing" of the original text into the current vernacular, adding modern slang terms and modern pop-political slants and such things. Happily, Richard Loncraine's version of 'Richard III' works very well, being set in a surreal WW2 era setting, more reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil' than London as it actually was at that time; an alternative world is suggested which adds a touch of nightmare-fantasy to the film.

I think this sort of intelligent interpretation of the text, placed into the mouths of people we can relate to more readily than we do to Elizabethan personages, is valuable and helps people otherwise unfamiliar with, or daunted by, Shakespeare's strange language is a good thing. All of life is covered in Shakespeare's plays, and after reading them it becomes apparent that nothing new has appeared in the world since, as far as fundamental life issues are concerned, making them invaluable tools in the history of literature as lynch-pins for people trying to navigate the shoals of human quirkiness without succumbing to depression and despair at the human condition. For instance, when O.J. Simpson's trial was going on I kept thinking of Othello and Desdemona, a tragedy of passion and murder being re-enacted for millions on the television.

Richard III is all about power and how it corrupts. Richard is presented as a Hitler-like character. It's an ugly story, yet the light of goodness shines through in the roles of the Duchess of York, Maggie Smith, and Queen Elizabeth, Annette Beining.

The cast is superb. I was put-off at first by Robert Downey Jr's Anthony, Earl of Rivers, because of his very-American accent. But Rivers has just returned from overseas, and given the setting, he could very well have returned from a long stint in New York. Once used to this he settled in nicely with the balance of the cast. Beining's accent is less noticeable. She is a fine, well-trained classical actress and knows what Shakespeare is all about. In the end she is a powerful foil to Ian McKellan's riveting Richard III.

The use of '40s swing tunes works wonderfully, I especially enjoyed the tune that accompanies Richard to his death, it's very funny, and horrifying all at once.

Even if you don't like Shakespeare I recommend this film. It's a great story and the technical aspects of it are top-drawer.