The Tragedy of Richard III (1983)

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Siskoid
The Henry VI cycle ends with Richard III, and it was made as such, with the same actors and set (now flushed with color again). I'm used to seeing this play, which contains the first inklings of Shakespeare's genius with character interiority, edited down to its best parts. In this more integral version, it's definitely closer to its three prequels. Richard III is over-written in the sense that things are explained, harked back to, and prophesied to keep everything in context at all times. And when Richard isn't on stage, there's the same feeling of watching "historical cartoons", scenes that depict rather than deepen history. Where the Bard achieves greatness, of course, is in Richard himself, though we're still a ways from more ambiguous villains like Iago and Edmund. We're "with" Richard because he explains what he'll do and then succeeds, though ultimately, there isn't enough doubt or regret in him for us to believe the moment before the battle where he's haunted to the point of self-doubt and self-recrimination. But perhaps that's the moment of Shakespeare's breakthrough with character, coming a bit late to unify the play. 8 years 10 months ago