Themes: Crowned Heads, Rise and Fall Stories, Rise To Power
Main Cast: Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey, Jr., Nigel Hawthorne
Release Year: 1995
Country: UK/US
Run Time: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Richard Loncraine takes Shakespeare's classic tale of treachery, Richard III, and transplants it to the 1930s. Ian McKellen is Richard who, as the film opens, begins plotting against his brother Edward, who has just ascended to the throne after a bloody civil war. Richard begins by seducing and wedding Lady Anne (Kristin Scott Thomas), whom he made a widow during the war. With the help of some loyal henchmen, Richard succeeds in murdering his older brother Clarence (Nigel Hawthorne), which so upsets Edward that he dies. Eventually, the crown falls to the young Prince of Wales (Marc Williamson). Richard is assigned to be the young king's protector, but instead, he has the boy and his brother jailed in the Tower of London. Richard seizes control over the country, but his ruthless quest for power eventually makes him powerful enemies, led by Henry Richman (Dominic West), who attempt to stop him. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Review
Visually striking and highly imaginative, Richard Loncraine's screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's Richard III ranks as one of the best -- or at least the most cinematic -- versions of the bard's work to ever appear on screen. Here, the story is moved into the 1930's as a neo-fascist government has taken power in England, and Richard (Ian McKellen) ruthlessly climbs through its ranks, using murder, marriage, seduction, and deception to get to the top. While the staging takes certain minor liberties with the story, and at 105 minutes the text has been condensed a bit, Loncraine's direction gives this production a dynamic visual strength that matches the power of its story, and McKellen's performance as Richard is nothing short of superb, with Jim Broadbent, Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, and (most surprisingly) Robert Downey, Jr. all delivering fine support. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Kristin Scott Thomas - Lady Anne; Christopher Bowen - Prince Edward; Jim Carter - Hastings; Michael Elphick - NCO; Roger Hammond - Archbishop; Edward Hardwicke - Stanley; Edward Jewesbury - King Henry; Dennis Lili - Lord Mayor; Tim McInnerny - Catesby; Bill Paterson - Ratcliffe; Bruce Purchase - City Gentleman; Andy Rashleigh - Jailer; Maggie Smith - Duchess of York; Donald Sumpter - Brackenbury; Adrian Dunbar - James Tyrell; John Wood - Edward IV; Dominic West - Henry Richmond; Kate Steavenson-Payne - Princess Elizabeth; Ryan Gilmore - George Stanley; Matthew Groom - Prince James; Tres Hanley - Miss Pan-Am; Marc Williamson - Prince Of Wales
Credit
Richard Bridgland - Art Director, Mary Richards - Associate Producer, Michele Tandy - Associate Producer, Irene Lamb - Casting, Shuna Harwood - Costume Designer, Ken Tuohy - First Assistant Director, Richard Loncraine - Director, Paul Green - Editor, Ian McKellen - Executive Producer, Maria Apodiacos - Executive Producer, Ellen Dinerman Little - Executive Producer, Joe Simon - Executive Producer, Trevor Jones - Composer (Music Score), Kathy Ducker - Makeup, Peter Taylor - Camera Operator, Tony Burrough - Production Designer, Peter Biziou - Cinematographer, Stephen Bayly - Producer, David Lascelles - Producer, Lisa Katselas Pare - Producer, Nick Hobbs - Stunts, Jim Dowdall - Stunts Coordinator, Ian McKellen - Screenwriter, Richard Loncraine - Screenwriter, William Shakespeare - Play Author
The film relocates the play's events to a fictional version of England in what appears to be a fascist-inspired 1930s. Despite some anachronisms, the film's atmosphere is easily recognizable to viewers.
The film's concept was based on a stage production directed by Richard Eyre for the Royal National Theatre, which also starred McKellen. The production was adapted for the screen by McKellen and directed by Richard Loncraine.
The film is notable for its unconventional use of famous English landmarks, often using special effects to move them to new locations. The transformed landmarks used include the following:
Perhaps the play's most famous line—"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"—was recontextualised by the new setting; during the climactic battle, Richard's scout car becomes stuck, and his lament is cast as a plea for a mode of transport with legs rather than wheels.
The closing shot of Richard III
In a surprising ending, where Richard refuses to be captured and leaps down to his death with the "wrong" closing line "Let us to't pell-mell; if not to heaven, then hand-in-hand to hell", his falling into the inferno is followed by the eerily upbeat tune I'm Sitting On The Top Of The World (Ray Henderson, Joe Young and Sam Lewis) in the classic version sung by Al Jolson.
The film enlarges the role of the Duchess of York considerably by combining her character with that of Queen Margaret. The roles of Rivers, Grey and Vaughan are combined into Rivers. The death scenes are shown rather than implied as in the play, and changed to suit the time (Hastings is hanged rather than beheaded) or historical accuracy (Clarence is drowned in a bath instead of a wine barrel). Each character's pre-death monologues is also removed, except that of Clarence.
