In a fictionalized 1930s London, Richard (Ian McKellen) murders his brother (Nigel Hawthorne), his nephews, known enemies, and supposed friends to gain the crown, but finds it hard to keep.
I have no philosophical objection to transplanting Shakespeare to more-or-less modern eras. The problem is that most of the time, if it doesn’t detract from the story, it adds nothing. Here is the exception. Ian McKellen (who worked on the screenplay and executive produced as well as starred) moves Richard III into the 1930s, and it works brilliantly, giving Richard’s Machiavellian intrigues a fresh resonance. The connection between Richard and Hitler has been discussed many times, but McKellen is the first to bring Richard to the screen decked in fascist pageantry. The message is clear: this is our world folks, so you better watch carefully. The costumes parallel the action as World War I uniforms give way to SS jackets. Fascism doesn’t just happen, it is allowed to happen and the art deco sets emphasize the fantasy world of the rich and powerful who fail to see what is going on around them.
The cast is superb, including some of the best England had to offer in 1995 such as Nigel Hawthorne and Maggie Smith. The cutting of Shakespeare’s dialog is severe, making transitions a bit abrupt, but that is the price for excellent pacing. However, it did leave me wanting more.