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Richard III
Richard III
	Theatrical poster
Directed by	Richard Loncraine
Written by	Ian McKellen; Richard Loncraine;
Story by	Richard Eyre
Based on	Richard III; by William Shakespeare
Produced by	Stephen Bayly; Lisa Katselas Paré;
Starring	Ian McKellen; Annette Bening; Jim Broadbent; Robert Downey Jr.; Nigel Hawthorne; Kristin Scott Thomas; Maggie Smith; John Wood;
Cinematography	Peter Biziou
Edited by	Paul Green
Music by	Trevor Jones
Production; companies	United Artists; Bayly/Paré Productions; British Screen; First Look International;
Distributed by	MGM/UA Distribution Co. (United States and Canada); Guild Film Distribution (United Kingdom and Ireland);
Release date	29 December 1995;
Running time	104 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom; United States
Language	English
Budget	£6 million
Box office	$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 Great 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,^[1] 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.

Plot

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.^[2]

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.

Cast

Ian McKellen as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III
Annette Bening as Queen Elizabeth
Jim Broadbent as the Duke of Buckingham
Robert Downey Jr. as Rivers
Kristin Scott Thomas as Lady Anne Neville
Maggie Smith as the Duchess of York
John Wood as King Edward IV
Nigel Hawthorne as George, Duke of Clarence
Adrian Dunbar as Sir James Tyrrel
Edward Hardwicke as Lord Stanley
Tim McInnerny as Sir William Catesby
Jim Carter as Lord Hastings
Dominic West as Henry, Earl of Richmond (the future King Henry VII)
Tres Hanley as Lord Rivers' mistress
Roger Hammond as Archbishop Thomas
Donald Sumpter as Robert Brackenbury
Bill Paterson as Richard Ratcliffe
Kate Steavenson-Payne as Princess Elizabeth
Christopher Bowen as Edward of Lancaster, Prince of Wales
Matthew Groom as Prince Richard of York
Marco Williamson as Edward of York, Prince of Wales
Edward Jewesbury as King Henry VI
Denis Lill as Lord Mayor of London
Ryan Gilmore as George Stanley
Stacey Kent as Singer at the celebratory ball

Michael Elphick has an uncredited cameo appearance as the second murderer of George the Duke of Clarence.

Reception

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.^[1] 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]

Accolades

Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
Academy Awards	Best Art Direction	Tony Burrough	Nominated	^[8]
Academy Awards	Best Costume Design	Shuna Harwood	Nominated	^[8]
Berlin International Film Festival	Golden Bear	Richard Loncraine	Nominated	^[9]
Berlin International Film Festival	Best Director	Richard Loncraine	Won^[a]	^[9]
British Academy Film Awards	Outstanding British Film	Lisa Katselas Paré, Stephen Bayly, and Richard Loncraine	Nominated	^[10]
	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Ian McKellen	Nominated
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine	Nominated
	Best Costume Design	Shuna Harwood	Won
	Best Production Design	Tony Burrough	Won
British Society of Cinematographers Awards	Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film	Peter Biziou	Nominated	^[11]
Camerimage	Golden Frog	Peter Biziou	Nominated	^[12]
Chlotrudis Awards	Best Actor	Ian McKellen	Nominated	^[13]
European Film Awards	European Actor of the Year		Won	^[14]
Evening Standard British Film Awards	Best Film		Won
Evening Standard British Film Awards	Best Technical or Artistic Achievement	Tony Burrough	Won
Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama	Ian McKellen	Nominated	^[15]
London Film Critics Circle Awards	British Actor of the Year	Ian McKellen	Won^[b]
Nastro d'Argento	Best Foreign Director	Richard Loncraine	Nominated

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Richard III was released on 27 February 1996.

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"The Invasion"	Trevor Jones	1:37
2.	"Come Live With Me"	Stacey Kent	5:40
3.	"Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent"	Trevor Jones	1:01
4.	"Mortuarty"	Trevor Jones	1:26
5.	"Bid Me Farewell/I'll Have Her"	Trevor Jones	1:21
6.	"Clarence's Dream"	Trevor Jones	3:04
7.	"Crimson"	Trevor Jones	3:13
8.	"Clarence's Murder"	Trevor Jones	2:05
9.	"The Tower"	Trevor Jones	2:06
10.	"The Blessing"	Trevor Jones	0:27
11.	"Conspiracy"	Trevor Jones	0:35
12.	"Toe Tappers"	Trevor Jones	2:14
13.	"Let Sorrow Haunt Your Bed"	Trevor Jones	1:29
14.	"The Reach of Hell/Long Live the King"	Trevor Jones	1:15
15.	"Good Angels Guard You"	Trevor Jones	0:28
16.	"Coronation Haze"	Trevor Jones	1:11
17.	"Prelude from Te Deum"	Trevor Jones	1:41
18.	"The Golden Dew of Sleep"	Trevor Jones	0:30
19.	"My Regret"	Trevor Jones	2:46
20.	"Pity Dwells Not This Eye"	Trevor Jones	0:25
21.	"Westminster"	Trevor Jones	3:14
22.	"My Most Grievous Curse"	Trevor Jones	0:49
23.	"The Duchess Departs"	Trevor Jones	0:52
24.	"The Devil's Temptation"	Trevor Jones	0:54
25.	"Richmond"	Trevor Jones	0:52
26.	"Defend Me Still"	Trevor Jones	2:47
27.	"I Did But Dream"	Trevor Jones	0:45
28.	"Elizabeth and Richmond"	Trevor Jones	1:37
29.	"My Kingdom for a Horse"	Trevor Jones	0:39
30.	"Battle"	Trevor Jones	4:42
31.	"I'm Sitting on Top of the World"	Al Jolson	1:49
32.	"Come Live With Me"	Stacey Kent	5:40
Total length:			59:14^[16]

"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.^[17]

Legacy

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.