The Hollow Crown: Richard II

"I wasted time, and now doth time waste me."

Richard II (Whishaw) is the king of England.  He is childish and prefers to cater to his own whims than to help his subjects.  When his cousin Harry Bolingbroke (Kinnear) and Lord Mowbray (Purefoy) accuse each other of treason, he banishes both.  Mowbray is banished for life, but Bolingbroke is only banished for six years.  As they depart, Mowbray predicts that Richard will be overthrown by Bolingbroke.

After giving the verdict, Richard decides to fight a war in Ireland.  He claims property of his late uncle, John Gaunt (Stewart) and levies heavy taxes on the people.  While he is away, plans are put in motion for his destruction.


I was an English major in college.  As such, I read and studied many plays and poems written by William Shakespeare (and I now own his complete works).  However, I have never read any of the history plays, but my interest was piqued by the miniseries Uncovering Shakespeare.  I was intrigued, especially when they showed clips from The Hollow Crown and immediately added it to my Netflix queue.

Shakespeare's Richard II is the first play in his tetralogy, the Henriad and sets in motion the events of the subsequent history plays.  BBC's The Hollow Crown will cover all of these plays (the first series is Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V).  These kings and their lives would be common knowledge for Shakespeare's audience, who would understand the political maneuvering.

To appeal to a mass audience, BBC condensed some scenes and characters, while still protecting the overall content of the play.  The casting is superb.  Ben Whishaw, who won a BAFTA for Leading Actor for this part, is mesmerizing as Richard.  He exudes an otherworldly-ness, which is the main reason director Rupert Goold cast him (watch the "Making of" feature on the DVD for more information).  He draws you in from the beginning and evokes sympathy even when he is doing / saying terrible things.  He is matched by Rory Kinnear, who has a strong presence on screen.  Their scenes together are a masters class in acting, especially the scene pictured above.

Whishaw and Kinnear are surrounded by legendary actors, who keep your attention from beginning to end.  The film is beautifully acted and shot.  Hopefully it will be a spark that leads people to reading the play and diving into other Shakespeare plays.

The Hollow Crown: Richard II (2012) 149 minutes
Director: Rupert Goold
Starring: Ben Whishaw as Richard II
Rory Kinnear as Harry Bolingbroke
Patrick Stewart as John of Gaunt
David Suchet as the Duke of York
David Morrissey as Northumberland
Tom Hughes as Aumerle
James Purefoy as Mowbray
Clemence Poesy as Queen Isabella