A previous reviewer says it best when he defended the play against its detractors instead of listing its merits. This is one of the few movies that not only turns a Shakespearean work into a good piece of movie, but a great piece of Shakespearean movie.
Okay, England was not under Fascist control in the 1930's...but the movie works on the supposition that it *could have* been. Before and after abdicating the throne, Edward was known to be pro-Fascist, even meeting with Hitler once! What if Edward had NOT abdicated, once assuming the throne he would have had an American wife? Definitely something not welcome among England upper crust.
While not pointing accusatory fingers this alternate history not only serves as a rough stereotype of Europe prior to World War II but helps to vilify Richard as one evil son of a ... you get the idea. The use of Nuremburg-like banners and visual settings cannot help but associate Richard with Adolf.
Elizabeth and Rivers are similarly given the alternate treatment by showing them as Americans married into the York family as opposed to the historical association with the Lancastrian houses. Either way, it places a slight barrier between them and Richard. Besides, who can resist Robert Downey Jr. shouting, "I have too long borne your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs!" It make me quake as much as Keanu Reeves' British accent in "Bram Stoker's Dracula."
All in all, the essence of the play does come through: Richard is an evil man who is more than willing to destroy his own family and "friends" in his quest for the "seat majestical." Ian McKellan plays the role to the knife's hilt (ahem) and earns my serious respect for it. If you can ignore the window dressing you are left with the heart of Shakespeare's works: characters that make you believe they are real. So what if the recent "Romeo and Juliet" had guns and cars...was the story still not about two lovers kept apart by fate? (I am ignoring Troma's "Tromeo and Juliet" since Shakespeare was not written to include Lemmy from Motorhead...)
I highly recommend this to my friends and anyone else in seeing one of literature's nastiest villains portrayed to his utmost.
In fact...writing this review has made me want to watch it again so I am off to the DVD player!
Okay, England was not under Fascist control in the 1930's...but the movie works on the supposition that it *could have* been. Before and after abdicating the throne, Edward was known to be pro-Fascist, even meeting with Hitler once! What if Edward had NOT abdicated, once assuming the throne he would have had an American wife? Definitely something not welcome among England upper crust.
While not pointing accusatory fingers this alternate history not only serves as a rough stereotype of Europe prior to World War II but helps to vilify Richard as one evil son of a ... you get the idea. The use of Nuremburg-like banners and visual settings cannot help but associate Richard with Adolf.
Elizabeth and Rivers are similarly given the alternate treatment by showing them as Americans married into the York family as opposed to the historical association with the Lancastrian houses. Either way, it places a slight barrier between them and Richard. Besides, who can resist Robert Downey Jr. shouting, "I have too long borne your blunt upbraidings and your bitter scoffs!" It make me quake as much as Keanu Reeves' British accent in "Bram Stoker's Dracula."
All in all, the essence of the play does come through: Richard is an evil man who is more than willing to destroy his own family and "friends" in his quest for the "seat majestical." Ian McKellan plays the role to the knife's hilt (ahem) and earns my serious respect for it. If you can ignore the window dressing you are left with the heart of Shakespeare's works: characters that make you believe they are real. So what if the recent "Romeo and Juliet" had guns and cars...was the story still not about two lovers kept apart by fate? (I am ignoring Troma's "Tromeo and Juliet" since Shakespeare was not written to include Lemmy from Motorhead...)
I highly recommend this to my friends and anyone else in seeing one of literature's nastiest villains portrayed to his utmost.
In fact...writing this review has made me want to watch it again so I am off to the DVD player!