Richard III (1995)

If you're gonna stage a 400-year old drama, this is the way to do 
it:  with tanks, explosions, and pre-WWII England envisioned as 
Nazi Germany.  Director Richard Loncraine and actor Ian McKellen 
are the forces behind this immensely watchable tale of a man who 
just wants to be king, and who will bloody anybody to get there.  
The set design is great, the international cast is a delight, and 
the final shot is an ode-to-Cagney classic.  I'd recommend a 
skimming of the play beforehand, though, as the relationships 
between the major characters are never clearly clarified.  Even a 
diagram in the lobby would help.  A chart!  A chart!  My kingdom 
for a chart!  (Rated "R"/105 min.)

Grade: B

Originally posted to triangle.movies in MOVIE HELL: March 20, 1996