Richard II (2012) was cowritten and directed by Rupert Goold. It's was the first episode of The Hollow Crown TV Series done by the BBC. Earlier, the BBC had filmed all of Shakespeare's plays in very basic fashion. Few props, and few extras.
This time around, the BBC produced all of Shakespeare's histories (except Henry VIII) in lush, "BBC quality," productions. Richard II opens the series.
This play rises or falls on the skills of the actor who portrays Richard II. Here it's Ben Whishaw, who is, indeed a brilliant actor. The DVD contains a special feature, "The Making of Richard II." This special feature really is a piece of fluff for the production. We're told that Ben Whishaw is the Richard II of today, just as Sir Laurence Olivier and Sir John Gielgud were for their day.
Whishaw is a fine actor, but I think that it's premature to declare him the standard of excellence for Shakespeare actors in the 21st Century.
Director Goold has chosen to depict Richard as a Christ figure. It's not subtle in the movie, and it's stated in "The Making of Richard II." Yes, Richard considered himself to be God's anointed sovereign, but that doesn't make him a Christ figure. However, there he is, barefoot, wearing a loincloth, ready to be sacrificed. Give Richard's earlier behavior, it just didn't work for me.
I'll defend a director's right to interpret Shakespeare, but I don't have to agree with his decision.
For better or for worse, the BBC has "opened up" this production so that we can see the horses, the hills, the castles, the oyster women, the beheadings, etc. You'll have to decide whether you'd prefer to use your imagination, as Shakespeare suggested, or you'd rather watch a Branagh-style production.
This movie was made for TV, so it works well on the small screen. It has a very high IMDb rating of 8.3. I didn't think it was that good, and rated it 7.
