by Shilpa Saravanan, opinions editor
Ben Whishaw, of “Skyfall” and “Cloud Atlas” fame, comes to American television as part of PBS’s “Great Performances” series on Sept. 20 in the form of Shakespeare’s neurotic King Richard II. Originally broadcast on BBC Two, this particular film version of “Richard II” is the first in a miniseries of Shakespeare’s histories titled “The Hollow Crown,” starring the likes of Whishaw, Jeremy Irons and Tom Hiddleston.
The miniseries also includes “Henry IV: Part I,” “Henry IV: Part II” and “Henry V.” Lavish costuming, pristine backdrops and fabulous acting are present in all four films, but Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 “Henry V” will always be the most famous adaptation of that play (no matter how much the Hiddleston fan club howls) and such famous films have lifted dialogue straight from “Henry IV” (“My Own Private Idaho,” “Chimes at Midnight”) to ensure that the more modern versions take precedence in the hearts of most viewers.
In “Richard II,” however, the BBC gives us something special.
Whishaw’s performance as the horrendously out-of-touch Richard is delicate and flawless. He is at once regal and scrawny, reprehensible and pitiable, as the character should be: though Richard banishes his own cousin, steals his inheritance and essentially brings about his own doom, one could almost say that he approaches the status of lovable in one of his most powerful scenes, an emotional meditation on his “hollow crown.” Rory Kinnear (who appears alongside Whishaw in “Skyfall”) presents a similar, more subtle duality in Bolingbroke, the banished cousin and soon-to-be Machiavellian prince of the next plays in the series. A mix of Shakespearean regulars and relatively fresh faces round out the cast: the formidably bald Patrick Stewart plays a stirring John of Gaunt for the few minutes he is onscreen, and Clemence Poesy’s quiet presence as Richard’s long-suffering queen, Isabella is an island of female sanity in this sea of men crazed by power.
The film is certainly a marvelous treat for Shakespeare lovers, but “Richard II,” because of its strangely tragic nature, may not be exactly the best introduction to filmed Shakespeare for those who aren’t familiar with the play. The rhymed dialogue can be hard to follow, and the longer soliloquies get a tad old. However, these problems can easily be solved by pulling out (or pulling up—Shakespeare’s long, long out of copyright!) a copy of the play and reading along.
Shakespearean adaptations might not be your first choice for Friday night entertainment, but they’re certainly an acquired taste–and you can’t acquire a taste unless you try it once.
Or twice.
Or three times.
At the very least, you’ll acquire the ability to sound like a pretentious academe when you can reference “What must the king do now? Must he submit?” in casual conversation!
“The Hollow Crown” was originally broadcast on BBC Two in July 2012. Fortunately, the Brits can’t have Shakespeare all to themselves. You can watch “Richard II” & the three subsequent films in the miniseries on PBS at 8 p.m. on Fridays starting on Sept. 20.
