LOOKING FOR RICHARD (1996)
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
LOOKING FOR RICHARD is Al Pacino's paean to Shakespeare and to acting. The picture is totally his baby. He conceived it, and it is the first film he ever directed. Like many new directors, he is in a rush to try all possible techniques - some work, some don't. The film, for reasons described below, is a frustrating, but ultimately rewarding cinematic experience.
Let me deal first with the single and almost fatal problem with the film and then I can get to the good part. The editing committee of Bill Anderson, Ned Bastille, Andre Betz, and Pasquale Buba is a disaster. Never I have I seen bad editing detract from a film more than it does here.
The movie is about the acting of the play RICHARD III. It interposes scenes of the play with rehearsal sessions and with interviews with scholars and people on the street. This is a technique that holds much promise, but the editing almost sinks it.
In the first half of the picture, people will start to speak, but the editors will cut them off before they can finish their sentence so they can switch to someone else whose words will also be truncated. This makes for an extremely choppy and dizzying experience. I kept wanting to yell at them to let the guy speak. Perhaps this sound bite technique works on MTV, but not with discussions of Shakespeare.
After being convinced I was seeing a film that going to find me with my thumb down, the second part is edited at a pace that allows us to hear the play, the rehearsals, and listen to the opinions so that in the end the picture redeems itself and does end up transferring to the audience an appreciation of the acting profession in general and Shakespeare in particular. As proof of its success, I left the theater wanting to see the play live again soon and to see Ian McKellen's marvelous movie RICHARD III (1995) once more.
Let me give you a taste of LOOKING FOR RICHARD. Pacino talks about the problems of American actors and The Bard saying, "What's this thing that gets between us and Shakespeare?" Vanessa Redgrave tells us the British view that, "In England you have had centuries when words are totally divorced from truth." One actress explains to us about Shakespearean rules, "There are certain rules like iambic pentameter that must be learned, and once learned can be rejected."
Many scenes are set up and just ad-libbed to see what will happen. Pacino takes his friend and co-screenwriter Fredrick Kimball to visit Shakespeare's bed. Kimball expects "an epiphany" and is disappointed. Pacino chides him, "If you're really an actor, you can come back and have an epiphany."
When the producer objects to Pacino's constantly asking scholars their opinions since Pacino is greater than any of them, Pacino admonishes him, "A person has an opinion. It's only an opinion. It's never a question of right or wrong." I think I'll save that quote and use it on the next hundred people that write me with personal insults when I have the bad taste not to like their favorite little movie.
Actually, the producer was correct. Most of the scholars added little over the actors' opinions, but I did like one who said that, "an irony is really only an hypocrisy with style." One woman at a cocktail party says that the way she would make Shakespeare more accessible is, "I'd take Lady Macbeth and put her in a rock 'n' roll context." Now there is an idea, hopefully, whose time has not yet come.
The film is full of Shakespeare and his beautiful and flowery language. Lady Anne (Winona Ryder) tells us, "To take is not to give." And Richard III (Al Pacino) responds, "Was ever woman in this humor won? I'll have her, but I'll not keep her long." At one point he gives the famous, "Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer." and "A horse, a horse, my Kingdom for a horse."
In such a star studded cast, I can't leave without listing the rest of those who contributed their considerable acting talent. These include: Estelle Parsons as Queen Margaret, Alec Baldwin as Clarence, Kevin Spacey as Buckingham, Aidan Quinn as Richmond, Penelope Allen as Queen Elizabeth, Gordon MacDonald as Dorset, Madison Arnold as Rivers, Vincent Angell as Grey, Harris Yulin as King Edward, Timmy Prairie as Prince Edward, and Kevin Conway as Hastings. As appearing as talking heads are: Kenneth Branagh, John Gielgud, Rosemary Harris, Derek Jacobi, and Kevin Kline.
Howard Shore's music is full of dramatic and effective choral pieces. Finally, I want to point out that if you like this film, you will probably like A MIDWINTER'S TALE (a. k. a. IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER) and will quite possibly love VANYA ON 42ND STREET.
LOOKING FOR RICHARD runs about 1:50, but my press kit does not give the exact time. It is rated PG-13 for one brief gory scene where blood spurts and for a few cuss words. There is no sex or violence. This film would be fine for any kid old enough to be seriously interested in the subject. If you go to see it, hang in there and you will be rewarded with something special. A mixed, but in the end strong recommendation from me, and I award the film ***.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: October 21, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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