On R List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


Richard III (1955)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 10/08

RichIII
10/08: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Shakespeare's plays have no place in cinema.

Richard III is no exception to this rule because it's a deeply boring picture. Don't get me wrong. The performances are excellent, the acting is impeccable, and the writing is as good as any. There's no question Laurence Olivier was the master of the Bard.

But the language is four hundred goddamn years old. We no longer speak this way anymore. Today's English is much clear-sounding to the ear. Because of the old language, the entertainment value of Richard III is practically nil. I'm sure there are people who will disagree strongly with what I've just said, holding Shakespeare's work sacred, but it's 2008, not 1623!

There are complaints about the low quality of costumes and interior sets. To be honest with you, plain and simple are exactly how I envision Old England, and they appear correct as opposed to the unrealistic-looking, lavishly wasteful apparel that are common in films of today.

All in all, I would rather see Die Hard again than sit through another minute of Richard III.