Looking for Richard

In this homage to William Shakespeare, Al Pacino has created a film which is not only informative, but passionate and entertaining as well. Pacino examines Shakespeare's work from all angles, in the process debunking the myth that Shakespeare's work is intrinsically elitist and esoteric.

Pacino stages the more critical scenes from the play, prefacing them with footage of his colleagues and he dissecting their roles. Comments on Shakespeare are interspersed throughout the film, from actors such as Vanessa Redgrave, Kevin Kline, Derek Jacobi, James Earl Jones, Kenneth Branagh, and Sir John Gielgud. Pacino also takes to the streets of Manhattan and London, asking random bystanders to give their reflections on Shakespeare (a toothless transient offers the most deep and insightful comments of all).

Pacino's enthusiasm and love of Shakespeare is apparent in every scene. Looking for Richard succeeds in its attempt to reach both the informed and the lay person, and is one of the best documentaries of its kind ever made.

-Paul Andrew MacLean

© 1998

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