UK / USA,
1995, 104 min
Directed by:
Richard LoncraineCinematography:
Peter BiziouComposer:
Trevor JonesCast:
Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Wood, Maggie Smith, Edward Hardwicke (more)Plots(1)
Shakespeare’s classic play about the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of King Richard III of England is updated to an alternative 1930s setting in this celebrated film adaptation. A brutal civil war has erupted in England with the Houses of Lancaster and York battling for control of the throne. Amid the turmoil the despotic Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Ian McKellen) plots his own route to power, deviously scheming a murderous agenda that will lead to his installation as dictator monarch. Steeped in fascist iconography, the film openly draws from the aesthetic of the Third Reich, a stylistic choice that emphasizes the pure evil at the heart of Richard’s agenda. (British Film Institute (BFI))
(more)Awards
- Winner
- Nominations
Academy Awards
- 1996 - Best Achievement in Production Design
- 1996 - Best Achievement in Costume Design
British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
- 1997 - Best Costume Design
- 1997 - Best Production Design
- 1997 - Ian McKellen (Best Leading Actor)
- 1997 - Ian McKellen, Richard Loncraine (Best Adapted Screenplay)
- 1997 - Outstanding British Film
European Film Awards
- 1996 - Ian McKellen (Best Actor)
Golden Globes
- 1996 - Ian McKellen (Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama)
Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival)
- 1996 - Richard Loncraine (Silver Bear for Best Director)
- 1996 - Richard Loncraine (Golden Bear for Best Film)