Is this movie cinematic in anyway? I heard that the camera stays far most of the time not close-ups etc...what I mean to ask is it like dramatic, do you feel anything for the characters, is it intense, any action, do you get deep into the story. Im not worried about how close it is to the play because I have never read it.
shareThe camera stays far away sometimes due to there being a lot of characters present for many scenes. Plenty of development of the main character, and Olivier portrays him flawlessly. At one point, he gives the young duke of York a look that will stop your heart for about 30 seconds. As far as on screen action, the battle of Bosworth Field at the end of the film is very action film (and pretty graphic for its time if I do say so). You should enjoy it to say the least.
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I loved that bit where you see Clarence reciting the contents of his dream, then the camera zooms out, and you find out that old Larry has been watching the whole time! Fantastic!
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Hyena, do you have the Criterion version? Here in Australia, all I can get my hands on is a cheap DVD of a VHS transfer.... in fact, it's not even that good, but my own Criterion version is on the way from the states.
What scenes are put in that werent in the standard cut? Also, is the 47 minute interview with Tynan any good?
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Nah, none of that stuff is in my version
My Criterion Version is expected to arrive tommorow. I couldn't wait before, but now that you've told me all that stuff... I'm going crazy with anticipation!
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I've actually got the stairs thing, but not the rest of it. Definetly not the extra battle stuff.
And here is some evidence of the overall crappiness of the Australian DVD release: The DVD cover says 158 minutes, however the actual feature goes for 133 mins. Disgraceful. Also, the picture quality... disgusting. I took a few screenshots, and then got the Criterion screenshots from DVD Beaver, and, well, I tell you, that was the time at which my mind was made up.
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Well, now I'm not so sure about the stair thing. There is one bit where he quite comically scrambles up some steps to his throne, and starts with all that "Is the seat empty?" stuff...
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Nah, that sounds awesome. There are so many hilarious little moments like that, like when he whacks Stanley when Stanley remains seated, and after he sees the Lancastarian armies approaching the whole "Bustle, Bustle!" thing was pretty funny. But Olivier portrays him as being a bit pathetic as well, which is interesting.
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Yes! The little R was hilarious! I loved that!
And you kinda feel really sorry for him (or at least I did), when his crown gets knocked off in the rush of the battle, and he collapses as it falls of his head... poor Richard!
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I think I soiled myself when he whirls around and gives that kid that look. Spooky.
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I liked Richardson in the role, I'm really glad that Orson Welles didn't get in. I just wouldn't buy Welles as Buckingham, you know?
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Welles couldn't pull off the
"Why let it strike?"
thing. Having Olivier then go
"Because, like a Jack, thou keepest the stroke betwixt thy begging and my meditation!"
Would not have worked. With old Ralph, though, it's perfect.
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Richardson is one of my favourite actors. In The Battle of Britain, he has all of the best lines, and he's only in one freaking scene! Hilarious!
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I haven't seen that yet. Just bought 21 Days with Viv.
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Yeah...and it's awesome. I absoulutely love it.
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Yep! Gimping up the stairs, more battle stuff... brilliant!
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Yeah... and the image quality is fantastic. Easily one of my favourite DVDs
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Yeah, the second DVD had a great menu (though the best menus i've ever seen are on the Star Wars DVDs...anyway). That interview with Ken Tynan was great, but I wish they had had a documentary on the making of the film or something... oh well.
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Ha! I'm in Melbourne, he did it here in 1948.
I can't get my hands on "On Acting", which is really I shame...
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Aha, yeah, well, I was born in 1989 (four days before Olivier died...hmm), so, yeah, I kinda really missed the boat there...
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Yes, it certainly looked like a performance not to be missed.
I recently watched "The Birds", and found one thing fascinating: Rod Taylor, who played the lead in that film, said that the reason he did acting is because he saw Olivier doing Richard III in Sydney in 1948. However, I don't think that Olivier's Richard comes through in his performance in "The Birds"!
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The thing I regret the most is that I never say Larry's Macbeth... and it was his biggest dissapointment that he never got to film it.
*sigh*
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Well, he was going to do The Scottish Play after R3, but R3 was a financial flop... and yet we live in an age where LOTR films are blockbusters...
I weep.
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Ah well. At least we'll always be able to enjoy R3, Larry style.
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Whoever you folks are, i love you!
Hurrah for the classics that came out before we were born!
Hurrah for the great British thespian tradition!
And especially, hurrah for Sir Larry!
cheers.
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