The Wars Of The Roses (RSC, 1965) Part 6, 4/6 The Kingmaker

[C0NTR4B455]

Brilliant acting from Ian Holm..Throughly contemporary and without any melodramatic posturing..Played as a psychopath makes complete sense..Love the way he developes the humour, irony and self-loathing/self-loving character of Richard..Like a cross between a Kray brother and Dudley Moore!

[iamanatullah]

Though my heart remains with Olivier, I so far quite like Ian Holm's brisk, straightforward, terrier-like approach to Richard of Gloucester. Within the wider context of the Henriad, his reduced status makes sense. His delivery of the famous soliloquy is also quite inventive in its pauses and rhythms.

[GreatGrumbledook]

It is worse than I thought it would be! This is no Richard of Gloucester! No! Never! This is Monsieur Bean (also known as the Black Adder) acting as poor, misplaced substitute for Richard of Gloucester! I hate it when a main character is played by a misfit actor! This ruins often the whole play: Imagine Macbeth as a feeble dandy boy, an ugly Cleopatra, a servile Caesar, a repulsive King Lear or a silly Julia and you know how worse watching this is! Though the verses are brilliant:

[GreatGrumbledook]

Why, I can smile, and murther while I smile, And cry 'Content!' to that which grieves my heart, And wet my cheeks with artificial tears, And frame my face to all occasions. I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall, I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk; I'll play the orator as well as Nestor, Deceive more slyly than Ulysses could, And like a Sinon take another Troy. I can add colours to the chameleon, Change shapes with Protheus for advantages, And set the murtherous Machiavel to school.

[GreatGrumbledook]

Shame that they took three ugly dwarfs to play the three young eagles of Duke Richard; this ruins much of the play.