Plot Summary
With Richard III, Laurence Olivier—as director, producer, and star—transfigures Shakespeare’s great historical drama into a mesmerizing vision of Machiavellian villainy. Olivier’s performance, viewed as the greatest of his career, charges Richard with magnetic malevolence as he steals his brother Edward’s crown through a murderous set of machinations. His inspired direction brings to the screen superlative performances by veteran theater actors Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud and the young Claire Bloom. Filmed in VistaVision and Technicolor, Criterion is proud to present the restored full-length version for which Olivier received the 1956 British Academy Film Awards for Best Actor and Best Film.
Credits
Screenwriter
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
80%- Reviews Counted: 15
- Fresh: 12
- Rotten: 3
- Average Rating: 6.9/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: The quality of production was superb, and a viewer had a true sense of pageantry and court grandeur.
Fresh: Laurence Olivier's classic rendition (1956) of Shakespeare's total villain contains one of his most engaging performances and reveals some of his best spatial manipulation of action.
Rotten: It becomes almost laughable when it tries to transcend its own timidity in the dramatic climaxes.
Viewers Also Bought
- Henry V
- Unknown
- View In iTunes
- Hamlet
- Laurence Olivier
- View In iTunes
- Acting Shakespeare
- Kirk Browning
- View In iTunes
- The Tempest (2010)
- Des McAnuff & Shelagh O'Brien
- View In iTunes