Jerry Posted April 13, 2006 Report Share Posted April 13, 2006 A few years ago Al Pacino fooled around with that play -- wasn't very good at it - just a Godfather in medieval dress. Anyway I was lucky enough today to catch the 1995 film with Ian McKennan as Richard, Jim Broadbent as Buckingham, Annette Bening as Richard's sister-in-law, Maggie Smith as Richard's mother.... a wonderful, wonderful production, in 1930s costumes envisioning a fascist state (Britain in a parallel universe?)with Richard's flag much like Hitler's Nazi banner. Ian was terrific and nobody should ever play that part without studying his technique in 1995. The hunchback was very slight, but it was painful and it extended to one of his arms. As always, the phone rang when I wanted to catch how he would read, A horse, my kingdom for a horse ! ! He was facing tanks and Richmond, but there were several war horses on the battlefield. I also missed another of my favorite lines: So much for Buckingham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted April 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 Gosh darn it all to heck. I was hoping to find a Shakespearean expert among this posting throng, but noooooooooo. For example, Buckingham offers the British throne to Richard, cajoling, persuading, pleading with him to accept. I'm not familiar enough - have no text in the house, but he keeps turning it down, playing to the mob as lacking the AMBITION for that terrible job of monarch. Shakespeare does a similar thing in Julius Caesar where Marc Anthony holds a coronet over Caesar's head and he keeps refusing it, playing to the mob. I wonder if McKellan or his director took a page from Caesar, if if Shakespeare used the device in both his plays. Ah, well, I'll take that question to my grave. I'm pretty sure that when McKellen turns to the audience after accepting the throne and stage whispers to us: after all, I'm not made of STONE... with a little smile -- I doubt that was in the original play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted April 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 I had to laugh when Helen Mirren as Bess I dismisses the threat from Holland and Palma -- with just two words spoken perjoratively: The Dutch !! Was a bit jarred on seeing the interplay with the Duke D'Anjou, an ancestor of mine. What if they had married and produced children - might I have been born in the Sceptered Isle? It was uncanny how much Mary, the so-called Queen of Scots resembles my grandmother. Just two idle thoughts with nothing to do about nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted April 23, 2006 Report Share Posted April 23, 2006 Out out black spot. Is this a dagger I see before mine eyes? Or hubble, bubble toil and trouble. that's about as good as it gets. I remember watching Olivier in films of that ilk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Out out black spot?? Wasn't that a red spot? Macbeth? Mcduff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted April 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Macbeth -- something about rivalries for the throne of Scotland I believe. I saw the Japanese version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Red spot was the American version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Yet do I fear thy nature: It is too full o'th'milk of human kindness, To catch the nearest way... I,v,16-18. Lady Macbeth speaking of her husband's human nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 hubble,bubble toil and trouble????? not in shakespeare i'm afraid. correct line read "double double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble" not a fan just a bit of a pedant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Me thinks Peter was having a laugh Sid!! I know how intelligent he is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse. Preferably with a leg in each corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted April 30, 2006 Report Share Posted April 30, 2006 Sorry, I know it identifies me as a 'pleb', but whenever I hear a reference to 'Richard the Third' I giggle. Very school boyish, but can't get the rhyming slang meaning out of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Chaos Posted April 30, 2006 Report Share Posted April 30, 2006 I always want to say Richard the Third with an Irish accent... At least one of lifes great mysteries has been solved.. I always wondered where the Vikings came into the play.. now I find that he was asking for a horse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted May 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 G.D. That one zinged right over my head, not a clue, but then I'm not supposed to be poking my head into that arena anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Chaos Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 Ah Jerry.. " A Norse, a Norse my kingdom etc.." (sad I know, but it was a long weekend over in the UK) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted May 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 And Norsemen were Vikings -- sure -- makes sense when you put it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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