"Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of Gloucester/King Richard III" ; Sir Ian McKellen ; Richard III, 1995
Queen Elizabeth: "Shall I be tempted by the devil thus?"
Richard III: "Yes, if the devil tempt you to do good."
Undeniably William Shakespeare is my favorite writer, and so I could compose pages and pages concerning his brilliance, the tone leaning toward a teenage girl raving about her favorite boy band; to rectify this lapse into fandom or save my followers from such a post, I'll simply spotlight my favorite plays or characters, from his texts and film performances.
The Life and Death of Richard III is my favorite of his plays, because who does not love a diabolically manipulative genius, inviting you into the depths of his/her mind, allowing you private audience to how his/her plans are formed and executed, and granting you private audience to his/her pithy, sardonic, and sarcastic one-liner-like witticisms?
Sir Ian McKellen simply owns this role: He creates a "Richard" who is equal parts murderous, vulnerable, neglected, and playful, much closer to my perception of the essence of Shakespeare's original rendering of the character. His portrayal provides the viewer more opportunities to empathize with the deeply troubled noble, even allowing the viewer to forget the heinous acts he just ordered to appease his own ambition, and sympathize with the unloving upbringing he narrates throughout the play...and yes, I meant to type sympathize.
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