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It’s
amazing enough on paper, but Ben Whishaw’s performance as Richard is breathtaking. He’s foolish, delicate, and easily led – the
only thing about him that really projects “kingliness” is his vanity. It’s little wonder the people take more
strongly to his cousin, the noble, commanding Bolingbroke, but my
goodness. As things begin to go wrong
for Richard, as he desperately tries to deny it, and as he painfully sinks into
the realization of his situation, I can’t take my eyes off him. Simply masterful.
The
whole thing is great, but special applause must be given to two scenes. The first, in which Richard stands on the
beach with his lackeys and sees all his hopes erode, is riveting. I bet it’s almost ten minutes of straight-up
dialogue, but it’s just tremendous. It’s
where the famous “let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death
of kings” speech comes from, and it’s devastating to watch Richard realize it’s
the end. And as for the actual scene of
his defeat… that’s probably the moment they starting writing Ben Whishaw’s name
on the BAFTA. Oh my gosh – it’s so
immediate, so visceral. Richard has
shattered into pieces, and the whole court is there to bear witness. “I have no name, no title, no, not that name
was given me at the font, but ‘tis usurp’d:
Alack the heavy day, that I have worn so many winters out, and know not
now what name to call myself!” I mean,
come on!
Beyond
Ben Whishaw’s overall perfection, this film is stuffed with good British
actors. Rory Kinnear brings strength and
dignity to Bolingbroke, and Patrick Stewart is great in his small turn as
Bolingbroke’s father/Richard’s uncle. David
Suchet and James Purefoy are both featured, and I recognize Clémence Poésy as
Fleur from the Harry Potter
movies. For Who alumni, we have David Bradley (“Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” and An Adventure in Space and Time,) Peter
De Jersey (“The Day of the Doctor,”) Lindsay Duncan (“The Waters of Mars,”) Tom
Goodman-Hill (“The Unicorn and the Wasp,”) David Morrissey (“The Next Doctor,”)
Lucian Msamati (“The Vampires of Venice,”) and Adrian Schiller (“The Doctor’s
Wife.”) Phew!
Also,
the direction and production design are stunning. The sets and costumes of Richard’s court drip
with royal extravagance, a real feast for the eyes. And Rupert Goold, who I’m not familiar with
but who seems mainly to be a theatre director, does sublime work. He really knows how to let Shakespeare
breathe and not feel overdone; the camera accentuates the acting and dialogue
without being intrusive. Richard II definitely gets The Hollow Crown off to a superb start.
Warnings
Some violence,
including offscreen beheadings.
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