Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Richard III Blu-ray Movie Review

"My horse, my horse! My kingdom for a horse!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown January 5, 2025

Sandpiper Pictures has released director Richard Loncraine's early 20th century reimagining of Shakespeare's Richard III, with Sir Ian McKellen slinking into the boots of the titular Crookback King. With a script penned by Loncraine and McKellen himself, the adaptation is set in 1930s Britain, with Richard a fascist plotting to steal the throne. The film also stars an impressive lineup of familiar 1990s faces, including Annette Bening as Queen Elizabeth, Jim Broadbent as the Duke of Buckingham, Robert Downey Jr. as Rivers, Kristin Scott Thomas as Lady Anne Neville, Maggie Smith as the Duchess of York, John Wood as King Edward IV, Nigel Hawthorne as George Duke of Clarence, Adrian Dunbar as Sir James Tyrrel, Edward Hardwicke as Lord Stanley, Tim McInnerny as Sir William Catesby, Jim Carter as Lord Hastings, Dominic West as Henry Earl of Richmond (the future King Henry VII), Tres Hanley as Lord Rivers' mistress, Roger Hammond as Archbishop Thomas, Donald Sumpter as Robert Brackenbury, Bill Paterson as Richard Ratcliffe, Kate Steavenson-Payne as Princess Elizabeth, Christopher Bowen as Edward of Lancaster Prince of Wales, Matthew Groom as Prince Richard of York, Marco Williamson as Edward of York Prince of Wales, Edward Jewesbury as King Henry VI, Denis Lill as Lord Mayor of London, and Ryan Gilmore as George Stanley.

"I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks, nor made to court an amorous looking-glass. I, that am rudely stamped, deformed, unfinished, sent before my time, into this breathing world scarce half made up. And that so lamely and unfashionable, that dogs bark at me as I halt by them. Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, have no delight to pass away the time, unless to spy my shadow in the sun and descant on mine own deformity."

Based on an acclaimed Royal National Theatre stage production by Richard Eyre that also starred McKellen, Richard III weaves the tale of a murderous lust for the British throne that sees Richard III descend into madness. Though the setting is transposed to the 1930s, England is torn by civil war, split between the rivaling houses of York and Lancaster. Richard aspires to a fascist dictatorship but must first remove the obstacles to his ascension -- among them his brother, nephews, and brother's wife (Bening). But when the Duke of Buckingham (Broadbent) deserts him, Richard's plans are compromised. The adaptation is also notable for making Elizabeth Woodville and her family American, both as a way to modernize the resistance the English establishment would have to the marriage and to invoke the controversial relationship between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson during the historical 1930s.

Click here to read Jeffrey Kauffman's in-depth analysis of Richard III, a take on the famed play of which he says, "Performances are pitch perfect throughout, with McKellen less of a misshapen hangdog than Lawrence Olivier's portrayal, but probably more ruthless and scheming, nonetheless." Adding, "a huge supporting cast includes great turns by a variety of eclectic performers."

Richard III Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Know then, it is your fault that you refuse the supreme seat, the throne majestical. We heartily solicit you take on the kingly government of this your land. Not as Lord protector, but from blood to blood, your right of birth, your empery, your own."

Richard III features an at-times striking 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that evokes both 1930s cinema and modern photography in yet another (mostly) successful mashup for the film. Colors are warm and carefully saturated, despite some slight flushing here and there. Black levels are deep and satisfying, without much in the way of crush or hindered delineation, though the darkest scenes are home to grain spiking. Likewsie, detail is quite good, with some softer shots, yes, but only insofar as cinematographer Peter Biziou utilized optical stylization to create ties to golden-age films, particularly pre-WWII propaganda reels. The image is sometimes smoky, sometimes hazy, but it's all in keeping with the filmmakers' intentions. By and large, edges are clean and sharp (with only the occasional halo creeping into view), fine textures are relatively refined, grain is heavy but natural, and shadow detail allows for glimpses into the production design's subtleties. I did catch sight of the tiniest compression artifacts when the image would get a bit unruly, but nothing too concerning. Banding and other anomalies are nowhere to be found at least, with the video presentation earning its stripes and score.

Richard III Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"Oh, hear me a little, for I shall never speak to you again! To war take with you my most grievous curse! My prayers shall on Richmond's party fight. Bloody you are, bloody will be your end! Shame serves your life and will your death attend!"

Like the 2015 Twilight Time Limited Edition release, the Sandpiper Blu-ray includes a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. In his review, Kauffman describes it as "a fairly immersive, and at times perhaps surprisingly bombastic, experience, at least given the general impression that a Shakespeare adaptation is going to be nothing but a yak-fest. The surrounds are regularly used for a variety of impressive effects, something which the semi-modern milieu offers opportunities to exploit. Dialogue is still very cleanly presented and is always very well prioritized. Trevor Jones' enjoyable score is also nicely dispersed throughout the surrounds and offers excellent support in several key sequences. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range extremely wide for "this" kind of film."

Richard III Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

"The world is grown so bad that wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch!"

While the 2015 Twilight Time release offered an isolated score track and two trailers, the Sandpiper Pictures edition only offers a theatrical trailer (HD, 2 minutes). Nothing to write home about.

Richard III Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"When scarce the blood was well-washed from his hands which issued from my other, angel husband. Oh, when I say I looked on Richard's face, this was my wish. "Be you," I said, "accursed. And when you wed, let sorrow haunt your bed." Within so small a time, my woman's heart grossly grew captive to his honey words, and proved subject to my own soul's curse."

Richard III is a stirring and succinct adaptation of Shakespeare's lumbering beast of a play, and it's largely successful, offering a unique spin on the familiar setting and characters. Even when it threatens to drift too far from the Bard's work, it yanks on the reigns and pulls off swift turns and agile jumps, mounting an unexpectedly precise performance. Sandpiper's Blu-ray release has plenty to offer too, thanks to a strong, faithful video presentation and equally solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The BD is, sadly, light on the extras, as is the case with almost every Sandpiper release, but those looking to pick up the film who missed out on the 2015 Twilight Time Limited Edition will be pleased to finally have a crack at the film in high definition.