'Now Is The Winter of Our Discontent,' Laurence Olivier, Richard III 'Most Wicked King' Shakespeare Play, Film

Last edited Sat Dec 21, 2024, 06:28 PM - Edit history (1)

(Wiki, Film) Scene from the movie (1955) based on Shakespeare's play, 'Richard III' depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of King Richard III of England. Richard III (Duke of Gloucester) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth Field marked the end of the Middle Ages in England.

Plot. King Edward IV of England (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) has been placed on the throne with the help of his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Sir Laurence Olivier). After Edward's coronation with his brothers George and Richard watching, he leaves with his wife and sons.

Richard contemplates the throne, before advancing towards the audience and then addressing them, delivering a speech that outlines his physical deformities, including a hunched back and a withered arm. He goes on to describe his jealousy over his brother's rise to power in contrast to his lowly position.

Richard dedicates himself to task and plans to frame his other brother, George, Duke of Clarence (Sir John Gielgud), for conspiring to kill the King, and to have George sent to the Tower of London, by claiming George will murder Edward's heirs. He then tells George he will help him get out. Having confused and deceived the King, Richard proceeds with his plans after getting a warrant, and enlists two to carry out his dirty work: George is murdered, drowned in a butt of wine. Though Edward had sent a pardon to Richard, Richard stopped it passing. Richard goes on to woo and seduce the Lady Anne (Claire Bloom)..

The 1955 film Richard III did more to popularise Shakespeare than any other single work. The film gained further popularity in the US through a 1966 re-release, which broke box office records in many US cities. Many critics now consider Olivier's Richard III his best Shakespearean screen adaptation...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_(1955_film)

- Richard III (b. Oct. 2, 1452, Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England—d. Aug. 22, 1485, near Market Bosworth, Leicestershire) was the last Plantagenet and Yorkist king of England. He usurped the throne of his nephew Edward V in 1483 and perished in defeat to Henry Tudor (thereafter Henry VII) at the Battle of Bosworth Field. For almost 500 years after his death, he was generally depicted as the worst and most wicked of kings. Some of those charges are now regarded as excessive, the work of his enemies, and his supporters have attempted to rehabilitate him. Modern scholars take a more-balanced approach that avoids the extremes of either side...
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-III-king-of-England

- Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier OM English actor and director. (1907- 1989). He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career he had considerable success in television roles...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Olivier