TV Review: The Hollow Crown: Richard III (2016)

The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses: Richard III (2016) directed by Dominic Cooke based on Shakespeare's plays

For the previous Hollow Crown series, see my reviews of Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2, and Henry V. For the previous episodes in the Wars of the Roses series, see Henry VI Part 1 and Part 2.

Richard III (Benedict Cumberbatch) rises to and falls from power in this adaptation of Shakespeare's popular play. Richard is a man of cunning and ambition with no apparent sense of goodness in him at all. He manipulates his family members and the nobility with horrifying ease and effectiveness, always redirected responsibility and guilt on others. He acknowledges his guilt to viewers (he makes many asides to the camera to clarify what he's really up to) and has no remorse. In spite of killing two brothers, two nephews, a wife, and a host of other nobles and relatives, he gets his comeuppance at the end.

The production is very elaborate. Scenes are filmed in historic locations and battles occur in towns and fields, giving the movie a very cinematic feel. Richard starts the movie with an aside to the camera (the "Now is the winter of our discontent..." speech) so his talking to the camera seems natural, though the previous episodes haven't had anyone speak directly to the camera since the Chorus actually appears at the end of Henry V. Since the story is an intimate portrayal of Richard, the asides work well.

On the other hand, just because it's intimate doesn't mean it's accurate. Critics of the play like to rail against it as Tudor propaganda (Henry VII beats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and winds up with the crown) and character assassination. Setting those (legitimate) concerns aside, this story gives a compelling picture of the most Machiavellian man ever. Dramatically it is very exciting and Cumberbatch gives a great performance, sliding around from fake meekness and icy calculation to moral outrage and anger with amazing ease. It's a great performance of Shakespeare's take on Richard III.

This is well worth watching and a fine end to the series.

TV Review: The Hollow Crown: Henry VI Part 2 (2016)

The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses: Henry VI Part 2 (2016) directed by Dominic Cooke based on Shakespeare's plays

For the previous Hollow Crown series, see my reviews of Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2, and Henry V. For the previous episode in the Wars of the Roses series, see Henry VI Part 1.

The Wars of the Roses rages on as King Henry VI is assailed by the house of York with their claims as rightful ruler. Henry is too mild and pious to hold the crown on his own. His scheming wife Margaret is certainly more aggressive if not entirely faithful. They have a son, Edward, whom Henry disinherits in a moment of weakness while negotiating with the Duke of York. There are plenty of betrayals among the Yorks as well. The plot requires a bit of attention.

For a Shakespeare play, this production includes a lot of violence and bloody gore. There's no stagey-ness or skimping on the battle scenes. They show the full horror of battle. Coughing up blood happens a lot; many throats are slit. Heads are cut off and piked on the walls of cities (a common practice in dealing with traitors back then). So squeamish viewers need to beware.

The story moves along at a rapid pace, almost to the detriment of the storytelling. Loyalties reverse many times throughout the show, sometimes happening a bit too quickly to be believable. The story takes place over 15 or 16 years. Things slow down at the end as the focus shifts to Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (played well by Benedict Cumberbatch) who does the dirty work needed to ensure his brother, Edward IV, remains King of England. Richard will wind up as Richard III, the subject of the final movie in this series. The other actors do a good job as well. The story just looks stripped down to the bare bones.

This movie is better as a connective tissue between Part 1 and Richard III, I'm not sure that it can stand on its own as a story. Certainly it was produced as part of a trilogy, and Henry VI was originally three separate plays, so a lot of material was condensed to make it to the finale.

TV Review: The Hollow Crown: Henry VI Part 1 (2016)

The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses: Henry VI Part 1 (2016) directed by Dominic Cooke based on Shakespeare's plays

For the previous Hollow Crown series, see my reviews of Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2, and Henry V.

Following the death of King Henry V, his infant son is crowned king. Naturally Henry VI cannot rule so his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester (Hugh Bonneville), becomes Lord Protector. Henry V's conquests in France begin to slip away. Henry VI grows up but hardly seems like an adult among the lords of Parliament. Gloucester always acts with his nephew's best interests. Others strive to undermine his influence and take his place as trusted advisor. Some even maneuver to become king of England. The reconquest of France goes poorly (thanks a lot, Joan of Arc!), enabling further mischief and machinations in the royal court. Somerset (Ben Miles) finds a French noble wife for Henry, though she is more in Somerset's sway and has many more ambitions beyond being Henry's wife. Henry himself is a weak king. His interest in religion and prayer are a detriment to his royal duties. Like his father before him, he seems unfit to wear the crown. Unlike his father, he does not have a transformative experience into a warrior king, leaving Henry VI subject to whatever  political wind prevails. It's not a good situation and leads the country into civil war.

This second series of The Hollow Crown is subtitled The Wars of the Roses. In an early scene, Richard Plantagenet confers with a handful of other nobles. He has a claim to the throne and wants to find out who would back him. He plucks a white rose from a nearby bush. Others pluck white roses in support of him or red roses in support of Somerset from the house of Lancaster. The Duke of Gloucester is not there and he does remain the king's true servant, even after his wife is banished for consorting with the occult against Henry. Gloucester's enemies use this as an excuse to implicate Gloucester, with tragic results. By the end, Plantagenet makes his claim for the crown and rallies his sons, including his hunchbacked son also named Richard (Benedict Cumberbatch).

The political intrigue is more fascinating than I was anticipating. Backstabbing nobles don't always make the most interesting or compelling characters, but the writing is excellent and the characters well drawn. The actors are uniformly wonderful and deliver the Shakespearean dialogue with naturalness and conviction.

I can't wait for Part 2!