Richard III (1954-Laurence Olivier)

The script for this movie was heavily cut, but few, if any, of the events were actually removed, meaning that a lot of stuff is rushed and is glossed over.  Clarence's murder and the preparations for the meeting about Edward V's coronation come to mind in particular-the meeting itself is shown but not its implications, which are described in the text.  And once again Laurence Olivier gives a mediocre performance.  He lets his voice crack far too often and in general is too prissy for a character who claims to be so manly.  I do like the narration of Richard's soliloquies to the camera, since on stage those speeches beg to be spoken directly to the audience.  Richard is, after all, bragging to the audience.  But the "I am not in the giving vein today" conversation is too overdone.  The other performances were okay.  John Gielgud as Clarence was almost good enough to make him a good sympathetic character.  Unfortunately, the fact that he is a classical actor got in the way of the character's potential.  I love the ghosts scene the night before the battle-everything about it.  There are other good moments.  This version shows the arrest of Clarence, which isn't that important but is a nice detail.  And after Clarence's big scene, the camera pulls back to show a looming shadow as ominous music plays, and as it continues, we see Richard, who then enters into an inocent conversation...  And I like the scene just after the new King Edward is brought to London, when Edward carefully edges onto the throne, and then when York rushes into his arms at an implied threat from Richard and then Buckingham tries to defuse the situation.  These moments are enough to make the rest of it worth watching.

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