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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786302843309 Format: Color, Full Screen, HiFi Sound, NTSC ISBN: 6302843308 Label: Embassy Home Entertainment (Nelson Entertainment) Manufacturer: Embassy Home Entertainment (Nelson Entertainment) Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Embassy Home Entertainment (Nelson Entertainment) Release Date: June 22, 1989 Running Time: 155 minutes Sales Rank: 23619 Studio: Embassy Home Entertainment (Nelson Entertainment) Theatrical Release Date: March 11, 1956
Amazon.com: The third and final entry in Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare triptych, Richard III (1954) is an audacious portrait of a man determined to prove himself a villain. As the personification of evil impudence, Olivier portrays the Duke of Gloucester with such aplomb that he brings the audience onto his side. This is true even as Richard engineers plots to murder his brother Clarence (John Gielgud), betray his cousin Buckingham (Ralph Richardson), and seduce his niece Lady Anne (Claire Bloom). From the play's famous opening lines ("Now is the winter of our discontent"), Olivier delivers every speech with truly Machiavellian splendor, and his superb staging of the climactic battle rivals his work on Henry V. Regrettably, this would be Olivier's last Shakespeare film, as a planned adaptation of Macbeth was abandoned for financial reasons. Olivier justly received an Oscar® nomination for his performance; and believe it or not, this film was the inspiration for the original Blackadder! --Kevin Mulhall
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Mesemerizing, frightening and memorable
One of the greatest movies of the 1950s and in fact of all time, Laurence Olivier took Shakespeare's historic classic and turned it into a stunning masterpiece.
As for those who criticize the movie for it's slight departures from the written play, they obviously do not understand the versatility inherent in Shakespeare which allows for rich adaptation.
The movie begins with the last scene of Henry VI, with a fawning Richard, Earl of Gloucester (Laurence Olivier) ingratiating himself with the new King Edward IV (Cedric Hardwicke).
It is in the next scene where ... Read More
Rating: - Hand in Hand --- to Hell
Indelible is the word for Olivier's personification of Richard III. The door swings gently open, and the monster takes you into his confidence. You become the co-conspirator and malevolent confederate. The character enters your mind and etches itself permanently into the memory. It's impossible to erase, and any later interpretations will always fight a losing battle. There are the usual customary petty complaints about the sets and the settings --- like Bosworth Field doesn't look like England. Who cares? Shakespeare's plays are about words and their delivery. Olivier delivers. Call it hammy, ... Read More
Rating: - If the Devil will reign...
Every time I see this movie have the same feeling: if the Devil will reign, it will be this way!
Opera lovers knows that one of the worst things ever is the fact that Maria Callas never recorded a full version of Verdi's Macbeth; luckyly, the olympic talent of Laurence Olivier created this jewel.
For me, it goes ahead even before Olivier's Hamlet: this very personal approach of the Duke of Gloucester goes surrealistic enough to be modern. I saw it first when I was a child and I will never forget the impression that Olivier's eyes caused.
Cast, with Gielgud, Richardson, Bloom and ... Read More
Rating: - Olivier's Richard
I have noticed that it is fashionable in some circles (particularly in the 'acting community') to be highly critical of Laurence Olivier and his interpretation of Shakespeare... While I have no credentials to speak of myself, I find these sorts of criticisms to be misplaced and they tend to unfairly take on Olivier without considering his times - Olivier was something of an outsider in his approach to Shakespeare - and the task of transfering his ideas of shakespeare into a rigid studio film (which nevertheless Olivier brilliantly succeeded in doing) would put Olivier right into a very vulerable place ... Read More
Rating: - One dimensional Richard
I know I'm going to come off as a bit of a heretic here. I already know that people generally LOVE Larry's,well, anything Shakespeare,BUT, as a Shakespearean actor myself,(and one whose favorite role is the Hunchback King),I must say that Richard's character has much more potential than Olivier's rendition reveals. Also,the play is abridged by about 30 min. of cut material,(in order to cement Richard's one-dimensional cast). I didn't particularly like Olivier's Shylock either. To be fair,his Hamlet is brilliant,but unfortunately,it too is abridged,like, where are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern anyway? Apparently ... Read More
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