A adaptação cinematográfica de Richard III de William Shakespeare

Abstract

Esta dissertação pretende discutir a adaptação cinematográfica da peça histórica Richard III de William Shakespeare. Dois filmes constituem o objecto de análise exaustiva neste trabalho de modo a afiançar sobre a influência da popular culture na adaptação cinematográfica de Shakespeare. Laurence Olivier realizou e protagonizou Richard III em 1955 com o principal intuito de celebrizar a sua interpretação de 1944 no Old Vic. A produção teatral de Richard Eyre do National Theatre (1990) foi traduzida para filme por Richard Loncraine em 1995. O realizador trabalhou a contextualização histórica na década de 30 e adoptando as convenções cinemáticas de Hollywood transpôs Richard III para o cinema. Como post-scriptum, o “docu-drama type thing” Looking for Richard (1996) de Al Pacino ilustra o deslocamento e fragmentação que Shakespeare sofre na popular culture.

This thesis is an attempt to discuss film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Richard III. Two films will support my thesis that the popular cinema audience has influenced the translation of the play into the cinematic medium. Sir Laurence Olivier egoistically starred in and directed Richard III in 1955 as a result of his intention to celebrate his theatrical achievements at the Old Vic in 1944. Richard Eyre’s stage adaptation of the play for the Royal National Theatre (1990) was transferred to film by Richard Loncraine in 1995. Maintaining Eyre’s production set in the fascist 30s the director has managed to translate Richard III by embracing visually Hollywood cinematic conventions. As a post-script, Al Pacino’s “docu-drama type thing” Looking for Richard (1996) illustrates how Shakespeare has been displaced within the popular culture fragmentation of Shakespeare.