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Looking for Richard is al Pocono’s interpretation of Richard the third, as it explores the various context, values and ideas within Richard the third it attempts to reconnect a modern day audience with this ideas and values through a form of exploration and explanation. Though this “decontamination’s” has been criticized for being too broad and in some cases unnecessary it definitely has found a level on which it can speak to a modern audience with both seriousness and humor whilst not losing what it was Shakespeare was really trying to say through his play Richard the Third.
Opening : AH Pacing is on an American talk show promoting his new film “looking for Richard” when the shows presenter offers to bring Shakespeare himself out on the stage to comment on what he thought of Pocono’s debut film. AH : Well Wily I must say this is quite a once in a life time opportunity but in all seriousness I am dying to know what you thought of my film?
Shakespeare : Well I must admit that I had to watch it a few times, Just to see everything that you attempted to do for it and really to give the film the Justice that it deserves, though in saying that I believe that it is quite a great tool for the modern audience. I understand that my work can seem quite foreign to many people especially the younger generations of society who are required to study my plays. I know that you have been criticized for it being too deconstructed but in a world this that may be the best thing for students.
AH : yes, when you originally wrote the plays it was like modern history to you and of course the people in which you wrote the play for knew exactly what was happening and exactly what you were saying, though for kids these days, sometimes even me included the language for Elizabethan English can be a giant wall for the understanding of what you’re actually saying and when I was making the film I wanted to include the box pops of people actually saying that to the camera so that people knew they weren’t alone.
Shakespeare: ah yes “I don’t understand how we can teach the audience how to understand Shakespeare when I don’t even understand Shakespeare” AH : yes ! That’s exactly what I mean, I didn’t want to fool the audience into thinking I am dumb but in certain cases I felt it was necessary for their understanding. Shakespeare : is that why you pretended not to know anything about iambic pentameter? As an actor of the modern day, whom has performed by play before I take it you already knew what iambic pentameter is?
AH : You mean its not an ant eater? (laughs) I must admit it was one of the first things that I was taught when I first became an actor, but some people have never even heard of an iambic so whilst they were learning I let them believe I was learning. Though of course even before the subject of iambics was brought up in the film I had filmed the snippets of play that were shown through out the cross fading, so yes I must admit I knew all along what iambics were.
Shakespeare: well I have no problems with this I must admit that within the writing of Richard the third and many of my other plays I bended the truth and some historical facts to better suit my characters actions, this helped my audience to understand their motives, I think the major one for Richard was the fact that though he was deformed it wasn’t quite as bad as I made out, dogs definitely didn’t bark at him, though for the audience I was writing for if I could prove to make him a villain in appearance and thought then what he was doing wasn’t quite out of place.
AH : yes I spent a fair amount of time thinking of my portrayal of Richard as a character and I felt that if I overplayed his deformities too greatly in the way he walked it might seem too fake in the film though with modern filming techniques he could play his characterization out differently then you would have been able to in such a big theatre.
Shakespeare: I have to say that there were some great techniques in your film that added to Richard as a whole I especially liked the way he whispers to the audience and the different angled movements of the camera to play on the lighting and shadows for different scenes. Specifically when you contrasted a serious point in the film with a quick shot of ironic laughter that really made me laugh and it focused my attention on what he was saying.
AH : what I was trying to achieve was the notion that those quick cuts back and forth were showing what Richard would have been thinking in his head at the time it was particularly used for the scene with lady Anne. Shakespeare : mm “was ever a woman in this humor won” AH : to be totally honest with you I don’t think so, but it makes for such an interesting twist especially when he claims that he will have her but he wont keep her long, it ally Just re affirms Richards character to the audience and I felt it was utterly necessary in the film to include.
Shakespeare: I must agree though your choice on actress could be seen differently by the audience, in your film Anne was naive and it seemed maybe far to quickly won, though that could also be due that the fact that Richards character was quite over powering in getting her to quickly forget his sins. AH : some of my critics has said similar things towards Ann.’s character but I felt that having someone young and beautiful played on Ann.’s purity, as for Ann.’s haste in eating with Richard it seems to come down to the fact that she was husbandly and well need a “man” to provide for her. I must ask, did Richard actually kill her husband?
Shakespeare: no in actual fact there isn’t much known about Anne and Richards relationship but Anne was never married to Edward, though they were engaged to be married when he died, again it was my way of bending the facts for the audience I was writing for, one thing evident in “looking for Richard” AH: you know its great to hear that you don’t completely hate my portrayal of your ark and I’m glad that Vive had the opportunity to express your work through mine, Shakespeare is great and some of the concepts within your play I can see in everyday life, its Just something that I wanted share with my audience.
Shakespeare: I’m glad, when I was writing my plays I never thought that they would be as big as they are now, but its great the people are attempting to understand them because they do address the things that Vive experienced as a part of my life and I feel other people would have as well. End: TV presenter cuts to infomercial add break and Shakespeare leaves the stage.