Richard III is a 1995 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. Directed by Richard Loncraine, the film adapts the play's story and characters to a setting based on 1930s Great Britain, with Richard depicted as a fascist plotting to usurp the throne. Ian McKellen portrays the title character, as well as co-writing the screenplay with Loncraine.
The cast also includes Annette Bening as Queen Elizabeth, Jim Broadbent as the Duke of Buckingham, Robert Downey Jr. as Rivers, Kristin Scott Thomas as Anne Neville, Nigel Hawthorne as the Duke of Clarence, Maggie Smith as the Duchess of York, John Wood as King Edward IV, Tim McInnerny as Sir William Catesby, and Dominic West (in his film debut) as Henry, Earl of Richmond.
Richard III premiered in Brazil on 20 August 1995, and was released in the United States on 29 December 1995, and in the United Kingdom on 26 April of the following year. While unsuccessful at the box office, it received critical acclaim,
The two armies meet soon after at a ruined Battersea Power Station. Richard and Richmond seek each other out but when his vehicle stalls Richard flees into the structure. Pursued by Richmond, Richard is forced to climb onto exposed metal beams high above the burning battlefield. Cornered by Richmond and refusing to surrender, Richard falls into the inferno with a maniacal grin, reflected by Richmond.
Cast
Michael Elphick has an uncredited cameo appearance as the second murderer of George the Duke of Clarence.
Adaptation
The film is based upon a National Theatre production of Richard III, starring McKellen and directed by Richard Eyre, which ran in the summer of 1990.
The evoking of 20th-century Fascist and authoritarian imagery in a Shakespeare production had existed since at least the 1930s, notably Orson Welles' 1937 staging of Julius Caesar. In setting the film during that period, McKellen chose to portray the Woodvilles as Americans, alluding to Edward VIII's marriage to Wallis Simpson. On Metacritic the film has an average score of 86 based on 24 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Empire magazine gave the film four out of five, calling it "fascinating" and "cerebral". Jeffrey Lyons said the film was "mesmerizing", while Richard Corliss in Time called it "cinematic". Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "the picture never stops coming at you".
Accolades
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"| Academy Awards
| Best Art Direction
| Tony Burrough
|
| align="center" rowspan="2"|
|-
| Best Costume Design
| Shuna Harwood
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Berlin International Film Festival
| Golden Bear
| rowspan="2"| Richard Loncraine
|
| align="center" rowspan="2"|
|-
| Best Director
|
|-
| rowspan="5"| British Academy Film Awards
| Outstanding British Film
| Lisa Katselas Paré, Stephen Bayly, <br> and Richard Loncraine
|
| align="center" rowspan="5"|
|-
| Best Actor in a Leading Role
| Ian McKellen
|
|-
| Best Adapted Screenplay
| Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine
|
|-
| Best Costume Design
| Shuna Harwood
|
|-
| Best Production Design
| Tony Burrough
|
|-
| British Society of Cinematographers Awards
| Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film
| rowspan="2"| Peter Biziou
|
| align="center"|
|-
| Camerimage
| Golden Frog
|
| align="center"|
|-
| Chlotrudis Awards
| Best Actor
| rowspan="3"| Ian McKellen
|
| align="center"|
|-
| European Film Awards
| European Actor of the Year
|
| align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Evening Standard British Film Awards
| Best Film
|
| align="center" rowspan="2"|
|-
| Best Technical or Artistic Achievement
| Tony Burrough
|
|-
| Golden Globe Awards
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
| rowspan="2"| Ian McKellen
|
| align="center"|
|-
| London Film Critics Circle Awards
| British Actor of the Year
|
| align="center"|
|-
| Nastro d'Argento
| Best Foreign Director
| Richard Loncraine
|
| align="center"|
|}
Soundtrack
The soundtrack to Richard III was released on 27 February 1996.
"Come Live with Me" is a 1930s-style swing song, performed by Stacey Kent at the ball celebrating Edward IV's triumph. It is an original composition by Trevor Jones with anachronistic lyrics adapted from Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love", a poem actually written a century after the events depicted in the play.
Legacy
One of the T-34 tanks used in the film, originally in service with the Czech army, was subsequently sold, and installed by its new owner on a plot of land in Bermondsey, London, on the corner of Mandela Way and Page's Walk. Nicknamed "Stompie", it was regularly repainted by graffiti artists, but was removed in 2022.
Notes
References
External links
- McKellen's website about the film including an annotated copy of the screenplay.