| Richard III | |
| Director: | Richard Loncraine |
| Producer: | |
| Story: | Richard Eyre |
| Music: | Trevor Jones |
| Cinematography: | Peter Biziou |
| Editing: | Paul Green |
| Studio: |
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| Distributor: | Guild Film Distribution |
| Runtime: | 104 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | £6 million |
| Gross: | $2.7 million |
Richard III is a 1995 period drama film, based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Richard Loncraine. The film adapts the play's story and characters to a setting based on 1930s Britain, with Richard depicted as a fascist plotting to usurp the throne.
Ian McKellen portrays Richard, as well as co-writing the screenplay with Loncraine. The cast also includes Annette Bening as Queen Elizabeth, Jim Broadbent as the Duke of Buckingham, Robert Downey Jr. as Rivers, Kristin Scott Thomas as Anne Neville, Nigel Hawthorne as the Duke of Clarence, Maggie Smith as the Duchess of York, John Wood as King Edward IV and Tim McInnerny as Sir William Catesby.
The film premiered in Brazil on 20 August 1995, and was released in the United States on 29 December 1995, and in the United Kingdom on 26 April of the following year. While unsuccessful at the box office, it received critical acclaim, and won several accolades. At the 50th British Academy Film Awards, it won the awards for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design, with nominations for Best British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor in a Leading Role. It also earned Oscar nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, and McKellen was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.
In a fictitious timeline of England in the late 1930s, a chaotic and bloody civil war (which occurs 450 years later than the actual historical event) ends with Lancastrian King Henry and his son Prince Edward assassinated by Field Marshal Richard Gloucester of the rival faction supported by the House of York. Richard's elder brother Edward York becomes King. Richard is determined to take the crown, and pits King Edward against his brother, George Clarence, who is imprisoned under a sentence of death. Richard deceives and marries Prince Edward's widow Lady Anne Neville.
Queen Elizabeth intercedes on Clarence's behalf and persuades Edward to spare his life. Richard destroys the royal pardon and commissions James Tyrrell to execute Clarence, ostensibly in compliance with Clarence's death sentence. Richard informs Edward of Clarence's death at a meeting with Prime Minister William Hastings, and the King dies from a stroke. As Edward's sons are underage, Richard becomes Regent, taking the title of Lord Protector with the support of the ambitious and corrupt Henry Buckingham.
To undermine his rivals for the throne, Richard has Rivers, the Queen's brother, assassinated and uses the sordid circumstances of his death to damage the Queen's reputation and cast doubt on her sons' legitimacy. Hastings' reluctance to support Richard's claim to the crown so enrages Richard that he manufactures false charges of treason against Hastings, who is sentenced to death by hanging. Having made an example of his only vocal opponent, Richard persuades the Lord Mayor of London and members of the House of Lords to acknowledge his claim to the throne and crown him King. Acting on the advice of Archbishop Thomas and Lord Stanley, the Lancastrian heir, Henry Richmond, flees to France.
Following his coronation Richard, now King Richard III, seeks to make his throne secure. He employs Tyrrell to murder the princes after failing to convince Buckingham to do so. Aware that Richmond intends to marry Elizabeth, he instructs Sir William Catesby to spread rumours that Lady Anne is ill and likely to die, intending to marry Elizabeth himself. Lady Anne is found dead sometime later from an apparent drug overdose. Impatient for the promised reward for his loyalty, Buckingham demands the Earldom of Hereford. Richard dismisses this in a high-handed manner, with the line "I am not in the giving vein". Buckingham, also disturbed by the murders of the princes and Hastings, flees to meet Richmond but is later captured and killed by Tyrrell under Richard's orders.
Richmond gathers supporters, among them Archbishop Thomas and Richard's mother, the Duchess of York. They are joined by Air Marshal Thomas Stanley. Richmond marries Elizabeth and unites both Houses and political factions against Richard. With the army's loyalty slipping and the legitimacy of his claims to the crown weakened, Richard prepares for the final battle against the Lancastrians, who plan an invasion and an advance on London. Richard's remaining loyal troops, assembling in a marshalling yard, are attacked from the air, revealing Stanley's defection to the Lancastrian cause.[1]
The two armies meet soon after at a ruined Battersea Power Station. Richard and Richmond seek each other out but when his vehicle stalls Richard flees into the structure. Pursued by Richmond, Richard is forced to exit onto exposed metal beams high above the burning battlefield. Cornered by Richmond and refusing to surrender, Richard falls into the inferno with a maniacal grin, reflected by Richmond.
Michael Elphick has an uncredited cameo appearance as the second murderer of George the Duke of Clarence.
Richard III was well reviewed by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 96% based on 51 reviews, with an average score of 8.2/10.[2] On Metacritic the film has an average score of 86 based on 24 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[3]
Empire magazine gave the film four out of five, calling it "fascinating" and "cerebral".[4] Jeffrey Lyons said the film was "mesmerizing",[5] while Richard Corliss in Time called it "cinematic".[6] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "the picture never stops coming at you".[5] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four and included it on his Great Movies list.[7]
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Art Direction | Tony Burrough | [8] | ||
| Best Costume Design | Shuna Harwood | ||||
| Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear | Richard Loncraine | [9] | ||
| Best Director | |||||
| British Academy Film Awards | Outstanding British Film | Lisa Katselas Paré, Stephen Bayly, and Richard Loncraine | [10] | ||
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Ian McKellen | ||||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine | ||||
| Best Costume Design | Shuna Harwood | ||||
| Best Production Design | Tony Burrough | ||||
| British Society of Cinematographers Awards | Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film | Peter Biziou | [11] | ||
| Camerimage | Golden Frog | [12] | |||
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Actor | Ian McKellen | [13] | ||
| European Film Awards | European Actor of the Year | [14] | |||
| Evening Standard British Film Awards | Best Film | ||||
| Best Technical or Artistic Achievement | Tony Burrough | ||||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Ian McKellen | [15] | ||
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | British Actor of the Year | ||||
| Nastro d'Argento | Best Foreign Director | Richard Loncraine |
The soundtrack to Richard III was released on 27 February 1996.
"Come Live With Me" is a 1930s-style swing song, performed by Stacey Kent at the ball celebrating Edward IV's triumph. It is an original composition by Trevor Jones with anachronistic lyrics adapted from Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd To His Love", a poem actually written a century after the events depicted in the play.[16]
One of the T-34 tanks used in the film, originally in service with the Czech army, can still be seen in London, permanently located on a plot of land in Bermondsey on the corner of Mandela Way and Page's Walk. It is regularly repainted by graffiti artists.