LOOKING FOR RICHARD

"Did you know that Richard III had a humpback and a deformed arm?"

I don't believe that anyone who pretends Shakespeare is easy should be teaching it. I love that Looking for Richard admits, with honesty and humor, that Shakespeare is difficult. Through interviews, discussion, and performance, Al Pacino attempts to make Looking for Richard accessible to the masses. In the process, he shows us that with Shakespeare, a great story almost always lies beneath all that iambic pentameter.

I was warned against this movie, but I had to watch it. It's Al Pacino's baby, and I do believe he thinks as highly of Shakespeare as I think of him. I was sold from the moment he comes gimping down the stairs like Quasimodo, asking, "Did you know that Richard III had a humpback and a deformed arm?" Why no! No one ever told me that, but every good story needs a scheming hunchback with a deformed arm! Even better, Richard's next in line for the throne.... You know, after he bumps off his brothers, his little nephews, and a few other people.

Al then proves that he's truly down with the people as he hits the street of New York to discuss Shakespeare with whoever happens by. Everyone is so nonchalant about the whole affair! Didn't anyone freak out when he started talking to them? I would turn six shades of red, break into a sweat, and forget my own name if he asked my thoughts on the Bard.

Without question, my favorite interviewee is a toothless panhandler who explains that Shakespeare teaches us to feel. If we all felt more, we'd think twice about shooting each other in the streets. "We'd say less and mean more," he continues profoundly, then lurches off to ask a businessman for some change.

An impressive array of actors, including Vanessa Redgrave, Kevin Kline, Kevin Spacey, Kate Burton (Richard Burton's daughter), and Rosemary Harris (better known as Spider Man's aunt) all gather to read and discuss the play. Penelope Allen, who plays Queen Elizabeth, takes the whole thing so seriously that she makes you cringe, and Al's friend Frederic Kimball temporarily loses his mind when he hears they're bringing in a scholar to explain why Richard needs to marry Anne. Al Pacino and Winona Ryder look on in amusement as he launches his tirade. In the next scene, the scholar admits that he doesn't really know why Richard needs Anne, historically speaking. Hah!

This is just one of many moments where the film pokes fun at itself and the possibility that things have spiralled out of control. Thankfully, Al is more than willing to laugh at the monster he's created. By the time a woman loudly explains that Lady Macbeth is all about rock-n-roll, everyone is wondering what they've gotten themselves into. "Get me out of here," Al whispers, "I wanna be king."

This signals the dramatic finale, where Richard III takes the throne and meets his end. "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" he cries, just before Aidan Quinn does him in and puts everyone out of their misery. They had to find some way to kill this production!

Looking for Richard is truly a labor of love, and serves as a worthy companion to Richard III. The scenes from the play itself are beautifully performed, and are complemented by Howard Shore's pre- Lord of the Rings score. For the first time since college, I actually wanted to read Shakespeare. In fact, I enjoyed Looking for Richard so much, I watched it twice within 24 hours.

Tragically, I once found Looking for Richard on sale for a dollar. I nearly bought it just to see Alec Baldwin, but after carrying it around for a long time, I finally left it behind. That day I took the prize as the dumbest girl alive, and now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go kick myself.