DramaWar

Richard III

- I can smile, and murder while I smile

A murderous lust for the British throne sees Richard III descend into madness. Though the setting is transposed to the 1930s, England is torn by civil war, split between the rivaling houses of York and Lancaster. Richard aspires to a fascist dictatorship, but must first remove the obstacles to his ascension—among them his brother, his nephews and his brother's wife. When the Duke of Buckingham deserts him, Richard's plans are compromised.

Release Date : 1995-12-29

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Mayfair Entertainment InternationalBritish ScreenUnited ArtistsFirst Look PicturesBayly/Paré ProductionsMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Richard III

Original Name : Ian McKellen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Queen Elizabeth

Original Name : Annette Bening

Gender : Female

Character Name : The Duke of Buckingham

Original Name : Jim Broadbent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Earl Rivers

Original Name : Robert Downey Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lady Anne

Original Name : Kristin Scott Thomas

Gender : Female

Character Name : James Tyrrell

Original Name : Adrian Dunbar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Duchess of York

Original Name : Maggie Smith

Gender : Female

Character Name : William Catesby

Original Name : Tim McInnerny

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Stanley

Original Name : Edward Hardwicke

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Duke of Clarence

Original Name : Nigel Hawthorne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Hastings

Original Name : Jim Carter

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Earl of Richmond

Original Name : Dominic West

Gender : Male

Character Name : King Edward IV

Original Name : John Wood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Archbishop Thomas

Original Name : Roger Hammond

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Richard Ratcliffe

Original Name : Bill Paterson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brackenbury

Original Name : Donald Sumpter

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Murderer

Original Name : Michael Elphick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Princess Elizabeth

Original Name : Kate Steavenson-Payne

Gender : Female

Character Name : 1st Subaltern

Original Name : James Dreyfus

Gender : Male

Character Name : 2nd Subaltern

Original Name : David Antrobus

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prince Edward

Original Name : Christopher Bowen

Gender : Male

Character Name : King Henry

Original Name : Edward Jewesbury

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Prince

Original Name : Matthew Groom

Gender : Male

Character Name : George Stanley

Original Name : Ryan Gilmore

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prince of Wales

Original Name : Marco Williamson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Air Hostess (Earl River's lover)

Original Name : Tres Hanley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gaolor in the Tower

Original Name : Andy Rashleigh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lord Mayor

Original Name : Denis Lill

Gender : Male

Character Name : City Gentleman

Original Name : Bruce Purchase

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dream Angel

Original Name : Madeleine Mora

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ballroom Singer

Original Name : Stacey Kent

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Derek Lyons

Gender : Male

Reviews

tmdb28039023

@tmdb28039023

2022-09-03

Co-writers Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine (who also directs) set their Richard III in 1930s Britain, and make the infamous hunchback a fascist warmonger plotting to usurp the throne. Today's English monarchy is, at best, nominal, but even way back in the 1930s there wasn't much to be gained by usurping it. Then again, the film takes place in an alternate reality where the War of the Roses occurs 450 years after the true historical conflict did. I don’t mind so much that royalty has endured those four centuries and a half; what does bother me is that language has not evolved in the interim at the same rate as, say, warfare. Why on Earth would Richard (McKellen), who is neither dumb nor crazy, use the expression “my kingdom for a horse” when he could be asking for a tank instead? This line is only in the movie because it’s in the play – but then, a great many things that are in the play aren’t in the film, and viceversa, so why keep this particular bit? I mean, it couldn’t be because the audience is expecting it, even though it makes zero sense given the circumstances, could it? Did they think diehard Shakespeare fans would riot otherwise? Well, if there were such a thing as hardcore Shake-heads, I assure you they would have rioted long before this point. Similarly outdated is a scene in which several characters who have been at each other’s throats are compelled to swear mutual oaths of loyalty. As Al Pacino’s superb documentary Looking for Richard rightly points out, at the time that the original play is set this would be serious business, because only people who want to go to hell would swear an oath and not keep it. Ditto the scene where Richard blames his deformity on Queen Elizabeth's witchcraft; this is an accusation that would have been given credence in the 1470s, but not so much in the 1930s. All things considered, it’s somewhat ironic that McKellen had a hand in the script, because his performance is worthy of much better material. His body language, in particular, is priceless – this Richard looks like a super-intelligent ape masquerading as a British Army field marshal. And when he breaks the fourth wall – another device that works better on a theater stage –, it feels as if Richard is letting the viewers in on that the entire movie is a sick joke he's playing on the other characters. If only.