Richard III [1996] (REGION 1) (NTSC) - MGM

Fabulous film, stylish and fun.

This is probably about ten percent of the original dialogue, and therefore it rolls along at a terrific pace. Having Richard arrive in a tank through a wall, must be the most dynamic entrance of any character in a Shakespeare play. You can suddenly see the origins of the pantomime Wicked Uncle figure in this piece as well, when he croons over the departing Little Princes 'So wise so young they say do never live long, come-let's to supper.' Fabulous! Don't miss it.

Great movie, great play, great actor

This is director Richard Loncraine's and Ian McKellan's take on Richard III, and it's brilliant. The setting is England in the 1930's, all art deco color and style, and moral decay. Edward IV has beaten his Lancastrian enemies with the ruthless generalship of his younger brother, Richard, and now runs Britain as a fascist state. The Yorkists have triumphed. Things seem under control, but Edward is sick...and Richard has ambitions. If Edward dies, then between Richard and the throne are their brother, George, and Edward's two young sons.

McKellan brings malevolent good humor, wonderful charm and mesmerizing treachery to the role. One of the funniest scenes is at the start. The battles have been won and Edward is hosting a great ball. Here McKellan starts the "Now is the winter of our discontent" remarks. Unlike Olivier's version, where he speaks to the camera and brings the audience into his schemes at the start, McKellan places the speech as a toast of honor to Edward, with the continuation, "made glorious summer by this sun [son] of York," referring syncophantly directly to Edward. But then Richard excuses himself, limps down to the gents, and continues while using the urinals and now talking to us. The whole thing is funny and grotesque. It's impossible to think of Olivier trying this.

There's also a Thirties-style swinging pop song sung at the ball that's set to Christopher Marlowe's words. It's a great song and helps set the mood.

For anyone put off by Shakespeare, this movie would be an easy way to get interested. It moves quickly, the period setting is comprehensible, and there are drownings, impalings, smotherings and beheadings. And the film is witty. When Richard cries out, "My kingdom for a horse," it's because his tanks and armored cars are being blown up.

The acting is exceptional; McKellan is extraordinary. Jim Broadbent does a great job as the sly, unprincipled Duke of Buckingham. After Edward dies (earlier Richard had dispossed of George), Richard takes the crown. Buckingham hesitates, finally, to act on Richard's hints that the two princes are awkward to have around. Instead, he asks Richard for the wealth and lands he was promised in exchange for giving Richard support. When Richard replies, "I'm not in a giving vein," Broadbent just through a subtle facial expression let's us see that the relationship has been fatally compromised, with the emphasis on fatal.

This is a superb, funny, malicious version of the play.

One caveat: The real Richard of Gloucester, who died fighting to defend his crown as Richard III, was evidently a good man, a better than average king, and didn't have a hunchback or a pronounced limp. He was the recipient, after his death, of an unrelenting hatchet job by those kissing up to Henry VII, who defeated him, and the other Tudors. Among the most noteworthy of those smearing Richard was William Shakespeare

"in want of true majesty"

Something that attempts to bring the work of the bard to a wider audience should be cherished and director Richard Loncraines adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III is a brave, if flawed attempt to do just that.
Lifting the dialogue essentially intact from the original play, Loncraines transposes the action to 30's England, where, after a brutal and bloody civil war, Richard's brother Edward has ascended the throne. Needless to say, Richard is a bloodthirsty, power mad lunatic, all hunched back and withered arm, who craves the throne himself, and so sets about his machinations whereby the throne will be his. As Richard, Ian McKellen is superb (then again, he should be, he has played the part often enough), all twisted hatred and unctuous smarm, to paraphrase, smiling and murdering whilst he smiles. A twisted figure of a man, desperate to make up for the enfeeblement of his physical body with the single minded ruthlessness of his character, he cares not a jot who he must destroy in order to achieve his power, whether it be his brothers Clarence (Nigel Hawthorne) and Edward (John Wood), his trophy wife Anne (a performance by Kristen Scott Thomas as fragile as the finest china), indeed, anyone, be they foe, friend or relation are merely objects to be either cast aside or destroyed if it serves his ultimate purpose.
Other roles are not so well fleshed out however, with Annette Benning as Elizabeth being one of the more fully realised supporting characters, whilst Robert Downey Jnr as her brother Rivers and object of Richard's hatred struggles to deliver a convincing performance. Indeed, some of the more minor characters are particularly effective in Loncraines adaptation, in particular Adrian Dunbar as Tyrell and Tim McInnerney as Catesby, a couple of amazingly ruthless cronies who buy into Richards lust for power. Even Maggie Smith as the Duchess of York seems a tad underused, but when she is on screen she is as ever the centre of everyone's attention. But this is McKellens film, and he does not let anyone come close to him in the acting stakes, even managing to make Richard occasionally amusing (witness his direct addresses to camera).
The update to 30's Britain works very well, as does mirroring Richard's rise to power with the transformation of Britain into a fascist state (in one scene this culminates in a spectacular use of Battersea Power station for a political rally). However, the film is a little short to make full use of Shakespeare's entire play, so some judicious editing has taken place, which makes Richard's rise to power seem dizzyingly quick, and when the final showdown between Richard's forces and those of the Earl of Richmond takes place, obvious budgetary constraints make it appear less than epic. Still, a brave attempt none the less and definitely worth a look.

To Anyone who hates this movie

If you hate this movie then you are obviously of the pixie caps and tights brigade who hate to see Shakespeare removed from the 'proper setting'. In my opinion there are very very few flaws in this movie. The pure and unrepentant villainy of McKellen's Richard is phenomenal, and who can forget the utter hilarity of the final scene. All I'll say is: "I'm sittin on top, top of the world..."

Buy this movie, watch this movie, show it too your friends. Believe me I have...

BORING!!!!!!!!!

I have just studied the play and the film, and I agree with a previous reviewer that the class lost interest very quickly. It is very dull and predictable. I cannot fault any of th actor's skills - they played their roles well, McKellen acting well in particular. The film just had a very dull plotline and was tedious and predictable. Also, I didn't think that the shakespearian language fitted the 1930's setting - it seemed very out of place.