Richard III (1995 film)
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Richard III is a 1995 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Richard III, starring Sir Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, Dame Maggie Smith, and John Wood.
The film relocates the play's events to a fictional version of England in what appears to be a fascist-inspired 1930s, although the film includes many historical anachronisms. The film's concept was based on a stage production directed by Richard Eyre for the Royal National Theatre, which also starred McKellen. The production was adapted for the screen by McKellen and directed by Richard Loncraine.
The film is notable for its unconventional use of famous London landmarks, often using special effects to move them to new locations. The transformed landmarks used include the following:
- St Pancras railway station is relocated to Westminster and becomes King Edward's seat of government.
- Battersea Power Station is relocated to the coast of Kent and becomes a bombed-out military base.
- Bankside Power Station becomes the prison where Clarence is held.
- Brighton Pavilion is relocated to a coastal clifftop and becomes King Edward's country retreat.
- Shell Mex House is Richard's seat of government and is used for interior and exterior scenes, including the famous art deco clock.
The cast also includes Jim Carter, Adrian Dunbar, Edward Hardwicke, Tim McInnerny, Bill Paterson and Dominic West.
See also
- Richard III for a list of other film adaptations of the play
External links
- [McKellen's website about the film] including an annotated copy of the screenplay.
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