“Now is the winter of our discontent” begins Shakespeare’s Richard III. In an adaptation by Norman Briski, all of the dark moodiness and paranoia remain intact. As in the original, most of the violence remains off-stage but is central to the plot. RIIICHARD is a short film which captures a portion of this version of the story.
Riiichard tells us early on that he is “an honest murderer.” The spirit of this piece is both an artistic interpretation of the excessively violent title character as well as a commentary on society in general. Bruno Giraldi plays Riiichard with verve. By the time he barks “let’s have fun with death,” you know he’s not kidding.
The strength of this work is in its mood setting and scene changes. A tortured monologue is followed by two soldiers presumably in combat training. Rock, paper, scissors is the battle of choice here. Josefna Lausrica and Vanna Frezza are the ensemble cast who alternate from lightening the mood to ritualistic dancing. Why did Riiichard become a soldier? “To get rid of my tenderness.”
My favorite scene involved a harsh conversation with his mother (Jane Ives). Her seething anger and contempt for a son who grew into a monster is on full display. As Riiichard descends further and further into his violent escapades, moments like these fuel the increasing paranoia and bloodlust in his brain.
The film is only twenty minutes long yet abounds with variety and creativity. Storytelling is secondary to artistic flourishes. Knowing Shakespeare’s play helps understand the context and its influence on this interpretation. Anyone, however, will recognize the heinous evilness of a tyrannical maniac.
This relatively low budget film is especially notable for the lighting design by Solangue Falla Crespo. Shadows are meaningful. Colors change moods. Spotlights frame the action. RIIICHARD is always interesting to watch. The drumbeats of war ensure that violence is never too far away.
The play is multilingual with Riiichard flowing freely between Spanish and English. What could be a distraction is instead additive to understanding this character. The words are important but the actions even more so. You don’t need to speak the language to know there is a madman in your presence.
Presented by Teatro LATEA, RIIICHARD is the first of a planned three part trilogy of this play. This filming can be accessed via their website. It’s a dark twenty minutes but it does not fail to have “fun with death.”
RIIICHARD will begin ongoing streaming on the Teatro LATEA home page. The second part in this series is in rehearsals and is expected to stream later this year.