Richard II is one of the plays that tends not to be made too often hence the unfamiliarity although some of the lines are familiar.
This adaptation by Rupert Goold for the BBC's Hollow Crown series is not staged bound as it has been opened out with location scenes and even some grisly scenes of be headings.
The opening is the key although in order to get a gist of the story I did take a look at Wikipedia before I watched this in case the Shakespearean text confused me.
Richard II hears accusations of treason from Henry, Duke of Purford against Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. Richard II orders them to make peace which they refuse to do. A joust is arranged but Richard II stops them at the last moment and then exiles both men from England.
Henry for ten years and Thomas Mowbray for life. Irrationally Henry's sentence is reduced to four years maybe because not to upset John of Gaunt, Henry's uncle who is also the King's relative.
The way the king has dealt with the matter in a scenario where he has been under suspicion himself from John of Gaunt at least for the way he wrested the crown himself shows up his deficiencies.
Richard waited until the last moment to stop the joust. His differing terms of banishment for both men looks odd especially as he reduced Henry's term even further. He appears high handed, conceited, weak and indecisive.
Ben Whishaw's King Richard II is younger here and rather fey but he also is petulant, vain and duplicitous but also fond of sad soliloquies such as telling sad tales of kings. It is like he realises he too may be violently deposed one day.
Rory Kinner's Henry is strong, loyal and straightforward but his treatment at the beginning by Richard II sets him on a course to take the crown of him.
The setting here includes castles, churches and the coast with costumes that seem to have a North African influence.
The film has enjoyable action and verve as Goold knew he had to make it less stage bound as possible although it does look like a lesser budget television movie than a feature film.
Of course the text is not easy to follow, the words are over 500 years old so you looking to get the gist of the story followed by the action, mood as well as the language delivered by the actors in a style that looks it comes across as natural to them. It helps that there are veterans such as Patrick Stewart, David Suchet, David Bradley and Lindsay Duncan mixing it with the younger actors.
This adaptation by Rupert Goold for the BBC's Hollow Crown series is not staged bound as it has been opened out with location scenes and even some grisly scenes of be headings.
The opening is the key although in order to get a gist of the story I did take a look at Wikipedia before I watched this in case the Shakespearean text confused me.
Richard II hears accusations of treason from Henry, Duke of Purford against Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. Richard II orders them to make peace which they refuse to do. A joust is arranged but Richard II stops them at the last moment and then exiles both men from England.
Henry for ten years and Thomas Mowbray for life. Irrationally Henry's sentence is reduced to four years maybe because not to upset John of Gaunt, Henry's uncle who is also the King's relative.
The way the king has dealt with the matter in a scenario where he has been under suspicion himself from John of Gaunt at least for the way he wrested the crown himself shows up his deficiencies.
Richard waited until the last moment to stop the joust. His differing terms of banishment for both men looks odd especially as he reduced Henry's term even further. He appears high handed, conceited, weak and indecisive.
Ben Whishaw's King Richard II is younger here and rather fey but he also is petulant, vain and duplicitous but also fond of sad soliloquies such as telling sad tales of kings. It is like he realises he too may be violently deposed one day.
Rory Kinner's Henry is strong, loyal and straightforward but his treatment at the beginning by Richard II sets him on a course to take the crown of him.
The setting here includes castles, churches and the coast with costumes that seem to have a North African influence.
The film has enjoyable action and verve as Goold knew he had to make it less stage bound as possible although it does look like a lesser budget television movie than a feature film.
Of course the text is not easy to follow, the words are over 500 years old so you looking to get the gist of the story followed by the action, mood as well as the language delivered by the actors in a style that looks it comes across as natural to them. It helps that there are veterans such as Patrick Stewart, David Suchet, David Bradley and Lindsay Duncan mixing it with the younger actors.