Richard the Second

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This article is about the 2001 film adaption of Shakespeare's play. For other uses, see Richard II.

Richard the Second is a 2001 American film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Richard II. This production is the first American feature film based on this Shakespeare play.

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[edit] Adapting the play

Filmmaker John Farrell updated the play's setting to a contemporary environment, using modern weapons and uniforms, and he also recast the role of the Duke of Aumerle to be played by a woman (Ellen Zachos). Farrell also changed the structure of the play by starting the film with a glimpse of Richard’s fate. Elvis Mitchell, writing in The New York Times, noted this approach gives “a more updated psychological spin by showing us a shattered Richard II, curled into a fetal ball and prone on a floor in the dark. It's a startling way to begin the play, because it suggests that he wants to offer it to the camera in flashback, contrasting the proud ruler to the man stunned into second sight.” (Matte Osian played Richard). [1]

[edit] Production history

Farrell used Fort Strong, an abandoned post Civil War-era fort on Long Island (an island in Boston Harbor), as the location for this production. The fort lacked electricity and Farrell's production used torchlight to illuminate the scenes that were set inside the structure[2]

Production took place between March and September 1987. However, the film went over its original $50,000 budget and Farrell was unable to secure financing to complete the production. As Farrell recalled in the book "The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies": "The original intent with Richard the Second was to shoot in broadcast 1" format and transfer to 35mm. We shot with an Ikekami camera and used Sony reel-to-reel. I even did a test trailer in the edit suite which sent to a place in Los Angeles called Image Transform, which sent us back the trailer on 35 - this was when laser transfer was the new thing for video to film (no scan lines!)."[3]

[edit] Commercial release

Farrell was able to complete post-production in digital video in 2000, and the film had its theatrical premiere in New York in July 2001. Reviews were mixed, and some critics questioned Farrell’s decision to chop down key portions of the Shakespeare text, particularly John of Gaunt's dying "this Earth, this realm, this England" speech.[4]

The film did not have further theatrical engagements after its New York engagement, but it received a 2004 DVD release through SRS Cinema.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ New York Times review
  2. ^ Film Threat review
  3. ^ "The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies," Michael Wiese Productions. ISBN: 0941188957
  4. ^ TV Guide Online review
  5. ^ Amazon.com DVD page

[edit] External links