Richard III

Starring: Laurence Olivier, Cedric Hardwicke, Nicholas Hannen, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Mary Kerridge, Pamela Brown, Paul Huson, Calire Bloom, Clive Morton, Helen Haye
Directed by: Laurence Olivier
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama
1955

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Richard (Laurence Olivier) is determined to become King of England and is willing to go to any lengths- no matter how evil- to claim the throne.

Review:

Tim: I was really into Shakespeare in college, and Richard III was one of the most memorable plays I read. From the opening monologue with the iconic, "Now is the winter of our discontent" line, to the chilling, "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" line at the end- Shakespeare writes a spellbinding play of the rise and fall of an ambitious, evil man. I loved reading the play. I liked Laurence Olivier's adaptation. I admit, this is an effective, faithful adaptation of the work. It feels like it's more grounded in faithfulness than in true entertainment, though. It feels like it was designed to show in classrooms, to allow students to study it while they read the Bard's work. I don't think it quite has the spark that Shakespeare intended when he wrote it.

Now, to be clear, I enjoyed the movie. It does an excellent job of bringing the story to the screen. It's well made- the costumes are excellent, the set design is effective. The climatic battle has some exciting, intense moments. This is an adaptation by a man (Olivier) who truly understands the source material. That much is clear. The film is long, as 2 hours, 41 minutes, but it's Shakespeare, so it's easily forgiven. The speeches are well staged, the cast is large. We're definitely thrust into this world of political intrigue, betrayal, and rampant ambition. The movie works on multiple levels. Now, to be fair, none of this is ever brilliant- it never exceeds our expectations, it never surprises us. It's a movie made with the theater very much in mind. You can see the powerful influence the stage has on this film. It's more than a filmed stage play- the sets are a bit more grand than that. However, Olivier never really opens the film up. This was likely an intentional creative choice and it doesn't actively hurt the film- but there were times when the approach felt a bit too constraining.

The cast is effective. Obviously, it all starts with Olivier, playing Richard. Olivier received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, the film's only nom. I found this a bit more complicated than I would have expected. Olivier is obviously strong in the role- he's a Shakespearean actor, having a great time playing this malicious, deformed, larger-than-life character. He's nearly unrecognizable in the role- his nose, hump, and limp visually transform him into Richard. His speech is precise and heartfelt. However, despite the performance hitting all the right notes technically, I couldn't quite help feeling a tad disappointed. It felt like Olivier knew the Richard on the page and translates that directly to the screen. I'm not sure he understood Richard's soul. I get this might be hard to swallow for some, but I do think there's something here. Olivier led a life of privilege, growing up in the church and surrounded by the arts (to some extent). I'm not sure he had the life experience to fully bring the broken, corrupt Richard to life. He delivers the lines beautifully, but his performance lacks menace. I was never intimidated, never frightened by his character. I wanted Richard to be a true villain, like Shakespeare intended. I don't think Olivier delivered that. I'm not knocking his performance too severely- it's obviously the highlight of the film. However, I don't think it added as much as was possible. In addition to Olivier, the whole cast is strong- Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Mary Kerridge all add admirable supporting performances.

As a fan of Shakespeare, I had an enjoyable time watching Richard III. It's an effective adaptation and it is well worth the viewers' time. I feel like Olivier didn't quite plumb the depths of Richard's heart, but that doesn't mean this movie isn't worthwhile. I had a fun time revisiting this play- it's been decades since I originally read it. This adaptation is certainly well made.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Julius Caesar, Chimes at Midnight, Hamlet