Richard III

Original title: The Tragedy of Richard III

TV Movie
1983
Not Rated
3h 59m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Richard of Gloucester uses murder and manipulation to claim England's throne.Richard of Gloucester uses murder and manipulation to claim England's throne.Richard of Gloucester uses murder and manipulation to claim England's throne.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.3/10

241

YOUR RATING

12User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

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Trivia
This episode was filmed on the same set as the three Henry VI plays. However, designer Oliver Bayldon altered the set so it would appear to be a ruin, as England reached its lowest point of chaos. In the same vein, the costumes became more and more monotone as the four plays went on; The First Part of Henry the Sixth (1983) features brightly coloured costumes which clearly distinguish the various combatants from one another, but by this point, everyone fights in similarly coloured dark costumes, with little to differentiate one army from another.

Goofs
When Henry VI's corpse is borne in on a brier, the Queen laments the passing of her husband. When she removes the sheets, Henry VI's stomach can clearly be seen heaving.

Connections
Featured in The Story of English: A Muse Of Fire (1986)

User reviews12

Review

Featured review

9/10

Fantastic Tudor propaganda

I recently purchased the 4 DVD versions of the BBC TV 1980's 'Henry VI/Richard III' series and they have had me spellbound.

I agree withe the general view of other commentators that the excision of the British 'hammy' style does nothing but enhance the powerful sweep of this epic.

In the final play Ron Cook's deliberately paced and under-stated (by comparison with, say, Olivier) performance renders a powerful image of the 'toad'.

I was especially struck by the scene with the 3 women characters where they debate the evils wrought by their various male relatives on them and their offspring.

The last few scenes covering the night before the battle of Bosworth where the stream of ghosts taunting Richard then support Richmond, highlights what a great piece of pro-Tudor propaganda this play is.

I know that my comments are really about the original Shakespeare play but this production made it live for me.

The final scene with Margaret cackling on top of the heap of dead is a masterstroke!