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RICHARD III (Richard Loncraine 1995) The inspired pairing of the award winning film director Richard Loncraine with the consummate Shakespearean actor Ian McKellen resulted in the production of a popular and accessible film of one Shakespeare's longest, and in terms of plot, most complicated plays. Loncraine has made hundreds of commercials and is a master of visual story telling; McKellan's sympathy for the verse is second to none. Between them they really have produced a popular Shakespeare film which respects the Bard but which technically is uncompromisingly of today. |
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The scene is the England of 1936. The film opens dazzlingly as a Yorkist tank crashes into the headquarters of Edward Prince of Wales' Lancastrian army, Richard appears in a Darth Vader mask and calmly executes the prince. The titles appear on the screen as in a Rambo movie. Richard returns to London to a glittering ballroom where a 20 piece orchestra led by a Glen Miller lookalike is playing behind music stands emblazoned with the letters WS. A vocalist is crooning "Come live with me and be my love". |
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The film creates a fictitious world that has St Pancras Station as a palace, the Brighton Pavilion as a beachfront royal retreat and the old Battersea Power Station for the Battle of Bosworth. Into all this, McKellen inserts an impeccable performance in which he is supported by a stellar cast. There are frequent references to other films, much play with cameras and images and the ending provides a wonderful parody that suggests that perhaps the joke is on us. This is the movie you show to people for whom Shakespeare was ruined at school. For a variety of American reviews I suggest rottentomatoes.com. For a representative UK review I suggest film.u-net.com. You can see a trailer on Ian McKellen's site. Image from www.r3.org, the Richard III Society. |
