(Richard Loncraine, 1995)

This is one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen and yet I would also say one of the best. Directed by Richard Loncraine, this 1996 adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III relocates the Wars of the Roses action to a dystopian version of 1930s Britain, in which Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later the eponymous king) becomes dictator of an authoritarian regime in the vein of Hitler or Mussolini.

For those not familiar with the play or the Wars of the Roses and those sceptical about modernisations of Shakespeare, fear not! The 1930s setting with all its political intrigue perfectly fits this story of a Machiavellian schemer and helps close the multi-generational gap between between today’s audiences and the Yorkists and Lancastrians of the fifteenth century, whilst retaining Shakespeare’s wonderful text.

In terms of design many famous British landmarks were used as shooting locations for the film including Battersea Power Station (where the climactic battle sequence takes place), Senate House and Brighton Pavilion. Richard’s look takes inspiration from Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) and military vehicles and firearms of the era such as Soviet T-34 and T-55 tanks and MP40 submachine guns make appearances.

The soundtrack features “Come Live With Me”, an original song written for the film by Trevor Jones and performed in one scene by jazz singer Stacey Kent. The song uses words taken from Marlowe’s “The Passionate Shepherd To His Love”). At the end, Al Jonson’s “I’m Sitting on Top of the World” comically juxtaposes events of the narrative.

Ian McKellen in the lead role has many of the mannerisms viewers would come to expect from a traditional portrayal of Shakespeare’s much-maligned monarch; the hunchback and withered arm. Richard’s charm belies a sinister lust for power, captured perfectly on screen by McKellen, who had previously played the role in Richard Eyre’s stage production for the National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre and on a world tour of the production between 1990 and 1992.

Other standout performances include: Annette Bening as Queen Elizabeth (wife of John Wood’s Edward IV), Kristin Scott-Thomas as Anne Neville (Richard’s wife), Nigel Hawthorne as Clarence and Maggie Smith as Cecily Neville, Duchess of York.

A fair amount of trimming has been done to condense Shakespeare’s work into a modest 104 minute feature. This means, however, that the film has the pace of a thriller and retains the attention of the audience throughout.

Overall, this is a fantastic updated adaptation of Shakespeare’s renowned history play and certainly one of the best film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays that I have seen. It chillingly reminds us why Shakespeare’s caricature of Richard III is still so iconic.

© Daniel Cummings 2023