Richard III (1955)

Overview

Laurence Olivier’s Richard III is not just a film—it is a towering monument in the world of Shakespearean cinema. Released in 1955, it was the third and final film in Olivier’s trilogy of Shakespeare adaptations (following Henry V in 1944 and Hamlet in 1948), and arguably his most ambitious in terms of visual style and political subtext.

In taking on Shakespeare’s famously charismatic villain, Olivier delivered a performance of towering theatricality, while also directing the film with a painter’s eye for composition and a dramatist’s ear for language. Richard III is both high drama and a brilliant character study—crafted with cunning, passion, and masterful control.

It remains one of the finest screen adaptations of Shakespeare, a benchmark for actors and filmmakers alike.

Plot Summary (Condensed)

Set in the aftermath of the Wars of the Roses, Richard III tells the story of the deformed and scheming Duke of Gloucester, brother to the newly crowned King Edward IV. Ruthless and ambitious, Richard sets out to eliminate all those who stand between him and the throne of England.

Manipulating allies, orchestrating murders (including those of his own brother Clarence and the young princes in the Tower), and seducing Lady Anne (whose husband he killed), Richard seizes the crown and becomes King Richard III.

But his reign is short-lived. His tyranny breeds resistance, and he eventually meets his end at the Battle of Bosworth Field, famously crying out, “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” as his world collapses.

Themes and Subtext

Power and Corruption

The film explores how power corrupts, and how the pursuit of it at all costs leads to ruin. Richard’s arc is a masterclass in the psychology of ambition, deceit, and paranoia.

Facade and Reality

Richard wears many masks: loyal brother, courtier, humble subject, and eventually king. Olivier emphasizes the performative nature of his villainy, even breaking the fourth wall to make the audience his co-conspirators.

Appearance vs. Morality

Richard’s deformity is symbolic, but also literalized in Olivier’s performance—with a hunched back, limp, clawed hand, and dyed red hair. The film makes the case that inner evil manifests in the outer form, a common trope in Shakespeare but here made starkly visual.

Order vs. Chaos

Richard’s usurpation disrupts the natural order of things, bringing about a political and moral collapse. His defeat restores balance—a motif central to Shakespeare’s histories.

Direction and Visual Style

Olivier’s direction is bold, painterly, and steeped in theatrical tradition. He makes heavy use of deep focus, lavish Technicolor cinematography, and slow, deliberate camera movements. The result is a visual feast, full of Renaissance-inspired tableaus, rich pageantry, and gothic interiors.

He opens the film with a spectacularly choreographed coronation sequence that sets the tone for the entire work—opulent, grand, yet undercut by menace. Olivier maintains a blend of cinematic realism and theatrical artifice, using long takes and carefully composed frames to mirror the controlled chaos of Richard’s mind.

Notably, Olivier breaks the fourth wall frequently, speaking directly to the camera. It creates an unsettling intimacy with the viewer, making us complicit in his schemes. This technique was groundbreaking at the time and would later influence everything from House of Cards to Fleabag.

Language and Adaptation

Shakespeare’s language is preserved with care and reverence, but Olivier trims the play considerably, cutting or combining roles, and omitting some subplots to streamline the narrative. The soliloquies are treated as intimate confessions, while dialogues are spoken with clarity and rhythm rare in screen Shakespeare.

Olivier’s delivery is masterful: his voice can be venomous, seductive, mournful, or mocking—often all within the same scene. The language becomes an instrument of manipulation in his hands, as Richard uses words to weave traps for both characters and audience.

Performances

Laurence Olivier as Richard III

Olivier’s performance is nothing short of a tour de force. He plays Richard as both monstrous and magnetic—limping, grinning, hunchbacked, but with an infectious charm that pulls the audience into his world. His Richard is a blend of Mephistopheles and Machiavelli, part clown, part tyrant, and entirely unforgettable.

His vocal control, facial expressiveness, and mastery of Shakespeare’s meter make his portrayal one of the definitive screen Richards. He makes the audience laugh, recoil, and reflect—sometimes all at once.

Claire Bloom as Lady Anne

As the grief-stricken yet manipulated Lady Anne, Claire Bloom offers a touching, vulnerable performance. Her seduction scene—perhaps one of the most implausible in Shakespeare—works here due to her delicate, sorrow-laden delivery and Olivier’s serpentine charm.

Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud

Two other giants of British theatre—Richardson as the Duke of Buckingham and Gielgud as Clarence—bring gravity and warmth to their roles. Gielgud’s scene in the Tower is haunting and poetic, while Richardson’s subtle shifts from ally to traitor mirror Richard’s descent into isolation.

Supporting Cast

Cedric Hardwicke, Stanley Baker, and Laurence Naismith all lend gravitas to a tightly-knit ensemble. Even minor characters are vividly drawn, a testament to both the acting and Olivier’s direction.

Legacy and Influence

Richard III was a watershed moment in cinematic Shakespeare. It was the first major Shakespeare film shot in colour, and its wide release—especially on television in the U.S.—helped bring Shakespeare to broader audiences. In fact, it was the first Shakespearean film ever broadcast to a mass audience, aired on American television on the same day as its theatrical release.

Though it did not achieve the same box office success as Hamlet or Henry V, its reputation has grown steadily, especially among scholars, directors, and actors. Olivier’s performance remains one of the most imitated and admired in Shakespearean cinema.

In 2012, a beautifully restored version of the film was released to great acclaim, reaffirming its visual splendour and artistic importance.

Conclusion

Laurence Olivier’s Richard III is a masterclass in acting, directing, and adapting Shakespeare for the screen. It fuses theatricality with cinematic flair, delivering a visually sumptuous, psychologically complex, and darkly entertaining portrait of one of literature’s most iconic villains.

Whether you're a Shakespeare aficionado or a newcomer to the Bard, Richard III (1955) offers a richly rewarding experience—a film that seduces and unnerves in equal measure, just like its titular character.

Final Rating

A spellbinding adaptation led by a peerless Olivier—sinister, stylish, and gloriously Shakespearean.