Richard III (1995)

The classic Shakespearean play about a murderously scheming king staged in an alternative fascist England setting.

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play), Ian McKellen,

Stars:

Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian McKellen	...	Richard III
Annette Bening	...	Queen Elizabeth, wife of Edward IV
Jim Broadbent	...	Duke of Buckingham
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Lord Rivers
Nigel Hawthorne	...	George, Duke of Clarence
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Lady Anne
John Wood	...	King Edward IV
Maggie Smith	...	Duchess of York
Jim Carter	...	Lord William Hastings
Edward Hardwicke	...	Lord Thomas Stanley
Adrian Dunbar	...	James Tyrell
Tres Hanley	...	Rivers' Mistress
Dominic West	...	Earl of Richmond
Roger Hammond	...	Archbishop Thomas
Tim McInnerny	...	Sir William Catesby

Storyline

William Shakespeare's classic play is brought into the present with the setting as Great Britian in the 1930s. Civil war has erupted with the House of Lancaster on one side, claiming the right to the British throne and hoping to bring freedom to the country. Opposing is the House of York, commanded by the infamous Richard who rules over a fascist government and hopes to install himself as a dictator monarch.

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Plot Keywords:

england | 1930s | murder | king | taking up with husband's killer | 

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Taglines:

...I am determined to prove a villain, and hate the idle pleasures of these days...

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sexuality

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 December 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ricardo III

Filming Locations:

Battersea Power Station, Battersea, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

£403,233 (UK) (17 May 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mayfair Entertainment International, British Screen, Bayly/Paré Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The boar's head, as seen hanging on the banners of the large hall, is the crest of Richard's family.

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Goofs

When King Edward dies we see the crew in the background, with video monitors and costume pieces.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Prince of Wales: Goodnight Father.
King Henry: Goodnight son.
Prince of Wales: Goodnight your majesty.

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Connections

References White Heat (1949)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Sitting On The Top Of The World"
Performed by Al Jolson
Composed by Ray Henderson, Joe Young and Sam Lewis
Published by EMI United Partnership Ltd.
Redwood Music Corp.
Angle-Pic Music Co. Ltd.
EMI Catalog Partnership/EMI Feist Catalog Inc.
Ray Henderson Music Corp.
Cherio Corporation
(c) MCA Records Inc. Licensed courtesy of
MCA Strategic Marketing Ltd.

User Reviews

Exceptional performances enhance timeless themes.

Many productions throughout the years have presented Shakespeare in updated formats in order to make his plays more

contemporary with varying results. This production is one of the

most successful. Sir Ian McKellan's extraordinary performance

makes his character, although thoroughly self-serving, incredibly

magnetic. The film is enhanced by many other exceptional

performances, most notably by Robert Downey Jr., Jim Broadbent

and Kristin Scott Thomas. The setting makes the story more

realistic to modern viewers, which helps it to avoid the stiff, stagy

quality seen in most productions of this work. Making

Shakespeare more accessible to today's viewers without

butchering his amazing language is no mean feat, but this film

accomplishes it handily.