Looking for Richard
Looking for Richard is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Al Pacino. The film is Pacino's directorial debut. It is both a performance of selected scenes of William Shakespeare's Richard III and a broader examination of Shakespeare's continuing role and relevance in popular culture. The film was featured at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1996[1] and it was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.[2] Al Pacino won Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Documentaries.
Looking for Richard | |
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Directed by | Al Pacino |
Produced by | Michael Hadge Al Pacino |
Written by | William Shakespeare Al Pacino Frederic Kimball |
Starring | |
Music by | Howard Shore |
Cinematography | Robert Leacock |
Edited by | William A. Anderson Ned Bastille Pasquale Buba Andre Ross Betz |
Production company | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $1,408,575 |
Description
Pacino plays both himself and the title character, Richard III. The film guides the audience through the play's plot and historical background.[3] Pacino and several fellow actors, including Penelope Allen and Harris Yulin,[4] act out scenes from the play.[5]
In addition, the actors comment on their roles. Pacino also features other actors famous for performing Shakespeare, such as Vanessa Redgrave, Kenneth Branagh, John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi, James Earl Jones, and Kevin Kline.[6] Pacino includes interviews with Shakespeare scholars and ordinary people on the street.
Cast
- Al Pacino as Richard III
- Penelope Allen as Queen Elizabeth
- Harris Yulin as King Edward
- Kevin Spacey as Buckingham
- Winona Ryder as Lady Anne
- Kevin Conway as Lord Hastings
- Julie Moret as Mistress Shore
- Estelle Parsons as Queen Margaret
- Alec Baldwin as Clarence
- Aidan Quinn as Richmond
Reception
The film received positive reviews from critics. As of August 2018, it holds a rating of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 48 reviews.[7]
References
- Janet Maslin (29 January 2002). "Films on Junior High School And a Farm Win at Sundance". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- "Festival de Cannes: Looking for Richard". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- Bruce Weber (6 October 1996). "Al Pacino, Slouching (Again) Toward Shakespeare". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- Godfrey Cheshire (5 February 1996). "Looking For Richard". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- Roger Ebert (25 October 1996). "Looking For Richard". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- Janet Maslin (11 October 1996). "Royal Monster, Are You Out There?". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/looking_for_richard