Richard III

Laurence Olivier
1955

This is probably my favorite of the three Shakespeare adaptations directed by Sir Laurence Olivier, with "Hamlet" (1948) coming in at a close second and "Henry V" (1944), which I remember as barely watchable, remaining firmly in third place. Olivier delights in playing the villainous King with shades ranging from wicked and mischievous to charismatic and downright heroic. The most interesting/loathseome quality of Richard's ascension to power is not the desire to lead, but the game of it all, as if achieving the throne were a mere exercise of his cunning and his wit. The costumes are a bit rich, and the sets have something of a papier-mache high-school-play quality to them, but sumptuous visuals aren't exactly a staple of Shakespeare adaptations (Ok, I'll give you Kurosawa). The repeated visual motif of figures and objects projected as shadows isn't exactly subtle, but it does provide for an easily readable metaphor and works as a director's artistic choice beyond the source material. The final transformation of Richard from smarmy weasel to berserk war machine is a treat to behold as Olivier bellows threats and challenges foes while being stuck by arrows and overwhelmed in a mass of his would-be subjects.