Movie of the Week – Richard III

This week’s movie: Richard III (1955).

This film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Richard III about the wicked deformed King of England; his conquests on the battlefield and scheming behind closed doors.

The film is directed by Laurence Olivier following up the wonderful job he did adapting Hamlet for the screen. Olivier shot the film in Technicolor and VistaVision, and it looks magnificent with great aesthetics. He worked with composer William Walton, cinematographer Otto Heller, and production designer Roger K. Furse.

Olivier also stars in the film as Richard III. The film boasts a strong supporting cast including Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, and Claire Bloom (many of which were well known for their work on stage performing Shakespeare).

The film is ambitious, radiant, and above all very well acted. Olivier is brilliant as Richard, Duke of Gloucester, an ugly hunchback with an unyielding desire for power and a silver tongue. Like Hamlet, Olivier’s film is almost just as impressive for its aesthetics as its performances. With Richard III, he takes full advantage of the colors and scope afforded him by VistaVision and Technicolor. This is a must-see for Shakespeare fans.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Video On-Demand

Movie of the Week – Gandhi

This week’s movie: Gandhi (1982).

The drama follows the life of Mohandas Gandhi, a lawyer who became the leader of the Indian revolts against British rule. His philosophy of non-violent protest made him a hero amongst his people.

Director Richard Attenborough (who many know as John Hammond in Jurassic Park) is known for his epics: A Bridge Too Far (my favorite of his work), Cry Freedom, Chaplin (which I also highly recommend), Shadowlands, and Gandhi, which is the most acclaimed and generally the most beloved of his career. He worked with composer Ravi Shankar, cinematographers Ronnie Taylor and Billy Williams, and production designer Stuart Craig (who also designed the Harry Potter films) on the film.

Ben Kingsley gives the performance of his career in the film and won an Oscar for his work. It is a remarkable transformation. The supporting cast is also very good featuring: Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Martin Sheen, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Richard Griffiths, Om Puri, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Bernard Hill.

Gandhi won eight Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. It is one of the great cinematic biographies and epics. It is a must-see for those interested in Gandhi, as the film tracks much of his life. It is also a must for fans of Kingsley.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Movie of the Week – Becket

This week’s movie: Becket (1964).

King Henry II of England’s greatest friend and confident is Thomas Becket. However, that all changes when Henry makes Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury – Thomas finding a higher calling to God than even his loyalty to his King – and the two great friends become bitter enemies.

Talented stage director Peter Glenville directs this film based on Jean Anouilh’s play. Edward Anhalt  won an Oscar for his screenplay adapting the play. Laurence Rosenthal’s score is probably the best of his career (and it is one of his first for a major motion picture). Brilliant cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth’s photography is also very good. Production designer John Bryan’s period sets are good as well, though they have a minimalist quality to them (which makes the look of the film feel like a stage play).

The greatest attribute of the film is its dynamite leading performances from Richard Burton (as Becket) and Peter O’Toole (as King Henry II) – both were nominated for Oscars, but neither won (which is surprising – though to be fair, Rex Harrison, who did win, was good in My Fair Lady, and in retrospect it is criminal that Peter Sellers did not win for Dr. Strangelove). John Gielgud is good in support as King Louis VII of France.

Again, Burton and O’Toole are fantastic in the film, and fans of either (or both) actors definitely need to see this film – and really, fans of strong performances in general should seek it out. It is also a great companion piece to The Lion in Winter, which is about King Henry II’s later years (and again stars O’Toole who is at his very best opposite Katharine Hepburn). Becket was nominated for twelve Oscars including Best Picture but only won one (1964 was a great year for cinema).

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming