The third and final entry in Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare triptych, Richard III is an audacious portrait of a man determined to prove himself a villain. A pure master of the political stage, Richard deploys a barrage of odious, unscrupulous traps in an attempt to exercise complete control over his rivals. As the personification of evil impudence, Olivier portrays the Duke of Gloucester with such aplomb that he even lures the audience on to his side. This is true even as Richard engineers plots to murder his brother Clarence (John Gielgud), betray his cousin Buckingham (Ralph Richardson) and seduce his niece Lady Anne (Claire Bloom). From the play's famous opening lines ("Now is the winter of our discontent"), Olivier delivers every speech with truly Machiavellian splendour. As usual, his voice is a force of nature--a full-bodied coloratura at one moment, an earthy baritone cello a few beats later. As a director, Olivier fully realises but underplays the corners of the script that most directors would hinge their dramatisation on. But he can also play it large: Olivier's superb staging of the climactic battle rivals his work on Henry V. Though Richard is finally brought down by the whispered curses of Queen Margaret, the audience exits feeling that the journey has been both entertaining and complete. Regrettably, this would be Olivier's last Shakespeare film, as a planned adaptation of Macbeth was abandoned for financial reasons. Olivier justly received an Oscar nomination for his performance; and believe it or not, this film was the inspiration for the original Blackadder! --Kevin Mulhall
The Message:It is the 7th Century and in Mecca powerful leaders are in conflict with Mohammed who attacks the many injustices their way of life produces - slavery drunkenness and cruelty. Mohammed claims to have seen a vision of the Angel Gabriel and calls to the people of Mecca to worship one God only. After a revelation from God Mohammed agrees to take arms against Mecca and at the Wells of Bedr the inexperienced Moslem troops are victorious. However at the Battle of Uh
This film set a popular style which was subsequently seen in such films as `Zorro` `The Scarlet Pimpernel` and countless others. It has a pattern which was followed in `Babes In Toyland` (1934) and `The Bohemian Girl` (1936) and contains some superb sequences. Originally called `Fra Diavolo` this film is based on the 1830 comic operetta of that name by Daniel F Auber. The film was subsequently called `The Devil's Brother` `Bogus Bandits` and `Virtuous Tramps`. Ollie and Stan pl
Are humans meant to mate for life - What drives someone in a perfectly good relationship to cheat and risk losing the one that they love and that loves them - Is it possible to love more than one person at the same time - How well does anyone really know the one that they love. Directed by Mike Nichols (THE GRADUATE, BIRDCAGE, WORKING GIRL), CLOSER questions the nature of relationships and fidelity as it follows the tangled web created by Dan (Jude Law), Alice (Natalie Portman), Anna (Julia Roberts), and Larry (Clive Owen). Dan, a British writer of obituaries, and Alice, a young American stripper, meet in the film's opening scene when a London cab runs her down. Cut to a year later: Dan and Alice are now a couple, but he is suddenly smitten with Anna, a beautiful American photographer. In an ironic twist of fate, Anna meets Larry, a British doctor, and they are soon a couple, despite Dan's continuing obsession. But the entanglements don't end there, and ultimately, someone is sure to get hurt. The four players do justice to a script that is humorous, raw and disarmingly honest about adult relationships.
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