Richard III (1995)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Ian McKellen (writer) ...

Release Date:

29 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

What Is Worth Dying For... Is Worth Killing For.

Plot:

The classic Shakespearan play about a murderously scheming king staged in a alternative fascist England setting.

Plot Keywords:

1930s | William Shakespeare | Haunted By Own Murder Victim | Mistrust Of Husband | Resentment Toward Usurper

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Ian McKellen	...	Richard III
Annette Bening	...	Queen Elizabeth, wife of Edward IV
Jim Broadbent	...	Duke of Buckingham
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Lord Rivers
Nigel Hawthorne	...	George, Duke of Clarence
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Lady Anne
John Wood	...	King Edward IV
Maggie Smith	...	Duchess of York
Jim Carter	...	Lord Hastings
Edward Hardwicke	...	Lord Stanley
Adrian Dunbar	...	James Tyrell
Tres Hanley	...	Rivers' Mistress
Dominic West	...	Henry, Earl of Richmond
Roger Hammond	...	Archbishop
Tim McInnerny	...	Catesby

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Battersea Power Station, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Bayly/Paré Productions

Trivia:

Ian McKellen made Queen Elizabeth an American because this way, her family and herself could be seen as social-climbers, from commoners to royalties.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): As Richard finishes his dance with the queen (at the beginning) and they walk off the dance floor, the young prince slips and falls.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Adam and Joe Show: (#1.3)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

I'm Sitting On The Top Of The World

wonderful,great looking

I am surprised how many people seem to hate this film. I am not a Shakespeare expert,but I love history and the 1930s and 1940s are my favourite period,so I love the way the our odd Royal Family is shown in this film,we know that members of the royal family were pro fascist in the 1930s so why not update the original story. The locations and the production design are great and the acting is impressive throughout. As for the comment about the murder in bed,it seems like a good plan to me,if you were busy with a flight attendant you are not going to notice an assassin under the bed. If you have not seen this I urge you to do so,you can watch it as a war movie or as a version of the play.