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, Christopher Bowen

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Bowen	...	Prince Edward
Edward Jewesbury	...	King Henry
Ian McKellen	...	Richard III
Bill Paterson	...	Ratcliffe
Annette Bening	...	Queen Elizabeth
Matthew Groom	...	Young Prince
John Wood	...	King Edward
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Clarence
Maggie Smith	...	Duchess of York
Kate Steavenson-Payne	...	Princess Elizabeth
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Rivers
Tres Hanley	...	Air Hostess
Tim McInnerny	...	Catesby
Stacey Kent	...	Ballroom Singer
Jim Carter	...	Lord William Hastings

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:

fascist | dog | tank | battle | widow | 

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Taglines:

I can smile, and murder while I smile

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | 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 USA:

$2,600,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mayfair Entertainment International, British Screen Productions, Bayly/Paré Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital Dolby Stereo Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie makes clever use of scenery to indicate that the alternate Britain is, in fact, a Nazi-style country. The flag of the House of the York closely resembles a swastika. Gloucester's flag is the Nazi flag, with the swastika replaced by a boar's head.

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Goofs

As Edward finishes his dance with Queen Elizabeth (at the beginning) and they walk off the dance floor, the young prince slips and falls.

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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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Alternate Versions

The UK (video) release has the cast credits in order of appearance.

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Connections

Version of Ricardo III (1984)

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Soundtracks

Come Live With Me
Paraphrased from "The Passionate Shepherd to his Love,(1599)" by Christopher Marlowe
Performed by Stacey Kent and Vile Bodies
Music composed by Trevor Jones
Arranged by Colin Good
Published by EMI Music Publishing 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.