The classic Shakespearean play about the murderously scheming 15th-century king is reimagined in an alternative setting of 1930s England as clouds of fascism gather.
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Title: Richard III (1995)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Christopher Bowen | ... | Prince Edward of Lancaster | |
| Edward Jewesbury | ... | King Henry VI | |
| Ian McKellen | ... | Richard III - Duke of Gloucester | |
| Bill Paterson | ... | Ratcliffe | |
| Annette Bening | ... | Queen Elizabeth | |
 |
Matthew Groom | ... | Young Prince Richard of York |
| John Wood | ... | King Edward IV | |
| Nigel Hawthorne | ... | Duke of Clarence | |
| Maggie Smith | ... | Duchess of York | |
| Kate Steavenson-Payne | ... | Princess Elizabeth of York | |
| Robert Downey Jr. | ... | Lord Rivers | |
| Tres Hanley | ... | Air Hostess | |
| Tim McInnerny | ... | Catesby | |
|
|
Stacey Kent | ... | Ballroom Singer |
| Jim Carter | ... | Lord William Hastings | |
Learn more
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Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
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 III (Sir Ian McKellen), who rules over a fascist government and hopes to install himself as a dictator monarch. Written by Anthony Hughes <husnock31@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
What Is Worth Dying For... Is Worth Killing For. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Prince Edward: Goodnight, your majesty.
King Henry: Goodnight, son.
Prince Edward: Father.
See more »
(uncredited)
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Jim Broadbent was the only choice for the role of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham. See more »Goofs
This is not a historical drama, nor a biopic. It is an allegory which mixes and unsolved murders from the 1480s with costumes and customs from the 1930s, to make an artistic statement about the similarities between these two eras. While the movie portrays several historical figures, they are not intended to perfectly resemble their real-life counterparts, and their words and actions are never claimed to be what the real people said and did. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Prince Edward: Goodnight, your majesty.
King Henry: Goodnight, son.
Prince Edward: Father.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The UK (video) release has the cast credits in order of appearance. See more »Soundtracks
Te Deum: Marche en rondeau prelude(uncredited)
Composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
See more »
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
29 December 1995 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Richard III See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
GBP6,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$91,915, 1 January 1996Gross USA:
$2,684,904Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$2,748,518Company Credits
Production Co:
Mayfair Entertainment International, British Screen Productions, Bayly/Paré Productions See more »
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1Contribute to This Page
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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.