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Richard III (1995)It can be very difficult to modernise Shakespeare without it becoming far removed from being identifiable as Shakespeare - the poetry and prose, the ingenious insults and innuendi, and the majesty of the characters can easily become lost. A certain amount of compromise must be made. Indeed, Baz Luhrmann had tried this with Romeo and Juliet, but the simple compromise of original text and modern setting was, whilst being audacious, perhaps a little too simple.
This films shows, however, that if the right compromises are made, then it's perfectly possible to modernise the Bard and still produce a good film. It is set in a time of civil war in England in the 1930s - historically inaccurate and not entirely contemporary, but that's part of the compromise. Society-wise, it is set, like the original play, in the aristocracy. This allows much of the original text to be used, as it would certainly pass muster in such a setting. The result is a political thriller that is visually powerful, as well as showing how easily the themes of Shakespeare's work pervades modern life.
Sir Ian Mckellan, an actor of fine pedigree (and certainly one qualified enough to step into the shoes of Gielgud and Olivier), plays the eponymous villain, and leads a fine ensemble cast that includes Annette Bening, Nigel Hawthorne, Robert Downey Jr., Tim McInnerny, Jim Broadbent and an excellent Maggie Smith.
Rating out of 5: 
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