A work of genius. Nay, a masterclass in iambic delivery; its volume, rhythm, beats, syntax -- all superlative. How a person can understand such language and give it such emotional gravitas is an inspiration to all. God bless Olivier.
I know people in the modern day would like to ridicule and parody Olivier and his pattern of speech...but I did not need to read to script while he spoke to see EVERY IMAGE and FEEL IT when he transformed into Richard III.
@@Synochra most actors I met spoke how his cadence is mechanical. I completely disagree, but some modern actors who are in the Shakespeare world that I’ve met have said this. But it’s their opinion.
Try this. Recite the words with his pauses, his emphases, his phrasing. Use the same motions he does with his eyelids, his eyebrows, his withered shrub of an arm, his halting gait that makes dogs bark. Then turn toward the camera and away from the camera in his own choreography. While casting your voice out and returning it like a veteran fly fisherman. Do all these artful things. Then tell me he is less than God Incarnate upon the stage. I won't believe you.
@@milesfolley6840 Time to be slain by fanboys in the coments: Ironicaly many of out morden actors are worse than mechanical. They have no emotions, their faces are always the same in every situation and moment, and those who master some.emotion dont know how to change it to another. They rarely make transitions, its the same problem of our musical taste totday- no variations, no complexity, always the same tune and notes. Its all like a symphony that never leaves a crescendo. Tom Cruise, Ben Afleck, Di Caprio, Keanu R and so on. Thry only appease the girls and some adults that behace like teens.
I have always loved Olivier, I'm not an actor or profess to know what's good or bad. All I know is Laurence Olivier is just mesmerizing, brilliant, authentic and captivating to watch. I love all his Shakespearean soliloquy/monologue's, but most importantly I just enjoy watching him. 🙏🏾
The combination of Shakespeare's speech, Olivier's delivery, and the motion picture camera fixating full on--Richard speaks to each of us face to face; we are each his confidant; he unfolds to us his emotion, his greed, his lust for power. Absolutely fascinating.
If you're familiar with "The Red Green Show" in its early years, you might remember a regular segment where Red reads a poem about winter, and that segment was called, "The Winter of our Discount Tent."
The monologue is taken from two different ones of Gloucester's & skillfully interlaced & combined into one. Starts with Richard III then back to Henry VI (Part 3) then back again to Richard III then back to Henry to the end of the main speech then climbs the steps, looks out the window & descants about his desire for The Lady Ann, who is then pursued despite her hatred of him
He’s being ironic because even though England has passed into a glorious summer, he is in his own personal winter of discontent because he resents his lot in life and really wants to be the King
Stunning beyond all measure! The words and the delivery UNEQUALED! Unequaled. One can listen to this over and over again and always be awed. Bravo Sir Laurence Olivier !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scathing! Talk about the art of the insult. Hilarious infact! Probably my favourite piece of prose of all time. Stating the obvious here, but pur Genius. Oliver is a God with this delivery. No one could ever do it better.
"... stabbed in my angry mood at Tewkesbury" - I just love that line and his delivery. He makes a premeditated murder sound like a minor inconvenience he took care of one idle afternoon.
I read this play innumerable times in high school, and I found it so difficult to understand. I heard Olivier in this scene, and the whole play just exploded into reality! Olivier remains the epitome for me of all Shakesperian actors ... and any other role by any other author he performed. Such a genius!!
It is very difficult for an actor to bring Shakespeare's words to such life that common ordinary, uneducated folk such as me are enchanted by it and actually *understand* it. :) And yet Olivier could do it. It's like music. It's amazing.
I felt this way too. If I was reading this off the page, I don't think I'd have any idea what the fuck I'm reading, but his delivery, the inflections and tone and eyes really convey the meaning excellently.
He actually delivers one of the creepiest turns in film history. Oliver’s performance in this movie is so frightening at times that it could easily stand against any horror film.
Still brilliant - BTW the Lady Ann was his childhood sweet heart - she had been forced to marry York dynastically - Richard and Ann loved each other very much and their marriage was a true love match
justyouraveragetwitterstan I think it’s true. Anne was manipulated into marrying Edward of Lancaster but I think Richard he did love her. He most likely also wanted her inheritance as well but he gave up most of it to marry her so that masked me think that Richard iii loves his queen
Bravo, it s a real pleasure to hear a performance at this level of perfection..... Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York; And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. 5 Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths; Our bruised arms hung up for monuments; Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings, Our dreadful marches to delightful measures. Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front; 10 And now, instead of mounting barded steeds To fright the souls of fearful adversaries, He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber To the lascivious pleasing of a lute. But I, that am not shaped for sportive tricks, 15 Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass; I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty To strut before a wanton ambling nymph; I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, 20 Deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time Into this breathing world, scarce half made up, And that so lamely and unfashionable That dogs bark at me as I halt by them; Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, 25 Have no delight to pass away the time, Unless to spy my shadow in the sun And descant on mine own deformity: And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, To entertain these fair well-spoken days, 30 I am determined to prove a villain And hate the idle pleasures of these days. Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous, By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams, To set my brother Clarence and the king 35 In deadly hate the one against the other: And if King Edward be as true and just As I am subtle, false and treacherous,
This day should Clarence closely be mewed up over a prophesy which says that "G of Edwards heirs shall the murder be." Dive thoughts down to my soul, here Clarence comes."
It's a joy to be among so many who appreciate this masterpiece. Here's where it comes from: 1. Richard lll, speaking as Gloucester (Richard): Now is the winter of our discontent... 2. Henry Vl, Part lll, Act lll, Scene ll (Henry): Why, love foreswore me in my mother's womb... 3. Richard: Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace... 4. Henry: Then, since this earth affords no joy to me... 5. Unknown. I can't find it. Meantime, I'll marry with the Lady Anne... 6. Henry: That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring....end.
Yes indeed. Except that even in Henry VI (part III), it's still Richard Gloucester who speaks (and not Henry, as you seem to have written ...) For the part you can't find ("Meantime, I'll marry with the Lady Anne. And here she comes, lamenting her lost love Edward, Prince of Wales", this is a line written by Olivier for the movie, followed by "whom I some small time since Stabbed in my angry mood at Tewkesbury- A sweeter and a lovelier gentleman This spacious world cannot again afford- And made her widow to a woeful bed" (this if from Act I, Scene 2 of Richard III, in the "Was ever woman in this humour wooed ?" monologue), "That from his loins no hopeful branch might spring To cross me from the golden time I look for." (and this from Henry VI as you rightly said)
Why this way is so impressive? First of all because it remains so difficult to me to find another Richard as TERRIFIC as Olivier. His pronounciation of English is so eye-catching. Seriously I have boosebumps and feel scared... Fucking brillant...!
+Daxkalak Btw, I love looking at the Technicolor that this movie was shot in back then. Apparently, Shakespeare had one foot in the historical world and one foot in the mythical, where everything and everyone is amplified and charged with a supernormal energy. If you look at such stories/plays with just your modern historical/empirical eye, then you miss the whole point.
Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York And all the clouds that lower'd upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths Our bruised arms hung up for monuments Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings Our dreadful marches to delightful measures Grim-visag'd war hath smoothed his wrinkled front And now, instead of mounting barbed steeds To fright the souls of fearful adversaries He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber To the lascivious pleasing of a lute But I, that am not shap'd for sportive tricks Nor made to court an amorous looking-glass I, that am rudely stamp'd, and want love's majesty To strut before a wanton, ambling nymph I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion Cheated of feature by dissembling nature Deform'd, unfinished, sent before my time Into this breathing world, scarce half made up And that so lamely and unfashionable That dogs bark at me as I halt by them Why love forswore me in my mother's womb: And, for I should not deal in her soft laws, She did corrupt frail nature with some bribe, To shrink mine arm up like a wither'd shrub; To hip an envious mountain on my back, To shape my legs of an unequal size; To disproportion me in every part, Like to a chaos, or an unlick'd bear-whelp That carries no impression like the dam. While, I, in this weak piping time of peace, Have no delight to pass away the time. Unless to spy my shadow in the sun And descant on mine own deformity Then, since this earth affords no joy to me, But to command, to cheque, to o'erbear Such as are of better person than myself, I'll make my heaven to dream upon the crown, And, whiles I live, to account this world but hell, Until this mis-shaped trunk that bears this head Be round impaled with a glorious crown. But yet I know not how to get the crown, For many lives stand between me and home: And I,-like one lost in a thorny wood, That rends the thorns and is rent with the thorns Seeking a way and straying from the way; Not knowing how to find the open air, But toiling desperately to find it out,- Torment myself to catch the English crown: And from that torment I will free myself, Or hew my way out with a bloody axe. Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile, And cry 'Content' to that which grieves my heart, And wet my cheeks with artificial tears, And frame my face to all occasions. I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall; I'll play the orator as well as Nestor, Deceive more slily than Ulysses could, And, like a Sinon, take another Troy. I can add colours to the chameleon, Change shapes with Proteus for advantages, And set the murderous Machiavel to school. Can I do this, and cannot get a crown? Tut, were it farther off, I'll pluck it down.
Midtime, I’ll marry with the Lady Anne And here she comes Lamenting her lost love Edward, Prince of Wales Whoa I small-time sins Stabbed in my angry mood at Tewksbury A sweeter and lovely gentleman This spacious world cannot again afford And made her widow to a woeful bed That from his loins No hopeful branch might spring To cross me from the time I look for
Greatest Shakespeare portrayals I've ever seen of characters I'd play if I were a decent actor. Richard III - Laurence Olivier Mark Antony - Marlon Brando Henry V - Kenneth Branagh The Ghost - Paul Scofield Puck - Stanley Tucci Caliban - Djimon Honsou Benvolio - Dash Mihok Cassio - Nathaniel Parker MacDuff - Sean Harris Don Pedro - Denzel Washington Lear's Fool - Sylvester McCoy Lucentio - Michael York
I would defo add John Geilgud as Cassius and then again, John Geilgud as Caeser to this list as well. But Laurence as Richard the third and Brando as Marc Anthony defo top the list for me as well, with Geilgud's performances a close third and fourth Defo need to check out some of the others on your lists tho, so thanks for this
3:40“Why, I can smile and murder whiles I smile, And cry 'content' to that which grieves my heart,And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,And frame my face for all occasions”
To recognise that the second scene from act 3 could be added to the first scene shows genius. It really works but it should have been rounded with "inductions have I laid etc"
I prefer hearing this missing portion as it further delivers the groundwork already enacted by this arch villain to demonstrate to the audience his soliloquy is not just angry outburst and nothing more. He indeed means all he says.
This is not the full speech...well it’s a mix of the “winter of our discontent’” speech and bits of others from “Henry VI Part 3” , in which he was also a main character
I can’t help thinking how proud Vivien Leigh must have been to be married to this genius of a man ; without him in her life, she never appeared to be the woman or the actress that she had been.She always kept his photo on her dressing-room table.Very sad.
I am about to rewind Gielgud in "Prospero's Books" as written and directed by Greenaway. I recognize the touches given by the Royal Shakespearean Society
The part of Richard's soliloquy that begins, "Love forswore me in my mother's womb" is actually from "Henry VI, Part III." It confused me when I heard him the first time. Olivier also used this version of Richard's speech on what I think was a radio production.
Sometimes parts of the Henry VI Part III is incorporated into this so the audience can understand Richard’s motive better. In fact, most of this was not from the actual Richard III. How do I know? I read it.
They say that history is always written by the victors. In this case, it's definitely true, and that is sad. Anyone who has studied Richard 3 knows that Shakespeare's description of him isn't very accurate. Most recent studies say he was a short guy with thin limbs and BAD scoliosis. I mean... BAAAAAAD scoliosis. I've seen his alleged skeleton, and that poor bastard must have been in intense pain all his life.
just noticed the massive crown hanging above the throne at 3:40. Contemporary interpretations almost always focus on "realism" or worse, "update" the play and change the historical setting...I much prefer the simpler, though more symbolic, touches of the old school plays like this one.
Carnal made by a dying flame, I dare to raise you up again, So said the Christ on the crux, And called out from where he was stuck, I lay me down my own salvation, Upon my back the human nation - Streightoff
'And that so lamely and unfashionable That dogs bark at me as I halt by them...' That observational and hyperbolic detail is Shakespeare. He couldn't just say, I'm stumbling along unfashionable and ugly. You have to have the image of dogs barking at him. Lol
