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Richard III (1995)

R | | Drama, Sci-Fi, War | 29 December 1995 (USA)
Richard III Poster
The classic Shakespearean play about a murderously scheming king staged in an alternative fascist England setting.

Director:

Writers:

(play), | 1 more credit »

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Bowen ... Prince Edward
... King Henry
... Richard III
... Ratcliffe
... Queen Elizabeth
Matthew Groom ... Young Prince
... King Edward
... Clarence
... Duchess of York
... Princess Elizabeth
... Rivers
... Air Hostess
... Catesby
Stacey Kent ... Ballroom Singer
... Lord William Hastings
See full cast »
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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. Written by Anthony Hughes <husnock31@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

england | 1930s | murder | king | abuse of power | See All (45) »

Taglines:

Power Conquers All See more »

Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | War

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

29 December 1995 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Ricardo III  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Budget:

£6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,600,000
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| | |

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film had a budget off £5,000,000. See more »

Goofs

Richard III died aged 32, after reigning for 2 years. Ian McKellen was in his mid-50s during filming and no attempt is made to hide his age. However he was not the first or last middle-aged actor to play the role. See more »

Quotes

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

Connections

Version of King Rikki (2002) See more »

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.
See more »

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User Reviews

Delightful contemporary turn of a classic piece of literature.
28 March 1999 | by – See all my reviews

When I see how wonderful this Richard III is, it immediately makes me question what in the world has Kenneth Branagh been doing all these years? Certainly nothing as imaginative, as provocative as this.

Deprived of Shakespeare as a child, I have been forced to catch up piece meal through film. Al Pacino's "Looking for Richard" gives attention to Richard III, from a far different perspective, but both that film and this agree that it has all the key elements of great drama: evil ambition, betrayal, rivalry.

The casting is tremendous with Ian McKellen (from his own stage play) and Kristen Scott-Thomas in the leads-thankfully there is no Kenneth Branagh to be found. And is this guy Jim Broadbent any good, or what? For my money he steals every scene he plays in "Little Voice", he's subtly brilliant here in a lesser role. Only Annette Benning seems a little overmatched in her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, but that's hardly surprising.

The accessibility of the current version, the setting in 1930's Fascist Europe, gives the story a vibrancy that is present from the first frame to the last.

Challenging, fun, and educative-far more than most films deliver. I highly recommend.
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