Shakespeare’s immortal tale of ambition, lust and murderous treachery (original written in about 1591 in the Elizabethan era), is brilliantly updated and brought to life in this riveting, 20th-century masterpiece. Boasting breathtaking performances, unforgettable imagery and two Oscar nominations, this astounding wartime spectacle is mesmerizing…it will rivet you and shock you.. In 1930s Britain, a savage, civil war between two royal families has just concluded. But even as the newly installed King Edward (John Wood) takes the reins of power, his ruthless, younger brother Richard (Ian McKellen) sets in motion a monstrous scheme to claim the crown for himself. Enlisting the aid of equally duplicitous allies in the court, Richard embarks on a merciless, single-minded campaign of betrayal, seduction and cold-blooded murder to achieve the goal that has obsessed him all of his tortured life: to beking…at any price.
Richard Loncraine’s 1995 film is based on McKellen’s famous 1990 National Theater performance. It sets the play in an England of an alternate timeline, which clearly evokes 1930s fascism. In recent London, Shakespeare’s language remains the same; I imagine the playwright himself would have cared little about the sets and costumes of a staging so long as his words were respected. This is a film with a dread fascination. McKellen occupies it like a poisonous spider in its nest.- Roger Ebert
Starring Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Wood, Maggie Smith, Jim Carter, Edward Hardwicke, Adrian Dunbar, Tres Hanley, David Lascelles, Ellen Dinerman Little, Joe Simon, Kate Steavenson-Payne.