Reimagination as a concept has the ability to develop an individual’s understanding of the text, this coincides with reshaping the values of the underlying message portrayed. In the play ‘King Richard III’ William Shakespeare sheds light upon the period’s political stance on secularism and the belief in free will of the individual. In contrast to Al Pacino’s ‘Looking For Richard’, Pacino reveals the issue that being true to the original doesn’t always mean being authentic. The parallel texts challenge each other to reveal underlying messages, the reimagination of Shakespeare’s ‘king richard III’ portrayed in Al Pacino’s ‘Looking for richard’ challenges the mind of the audience to discover the texts own individual value to them personally. Values can be altered through, the reimagination of power revealing a new layer of corruption within a character, exploring the temptation of evil as well as the seduction and allurement other characters unto evil and Dissecting of language and how it is utilized, Language may not always be a necessary tool of power however it is a essential tool for Richard to gain a following and maintain status.
Power is a recurring theme in King Richard III which when reimagined in Looking for richard reveals a new layer of corruption within characters. Foreshadowing is utilized in Richard the III during the scene prior to the last battle. Richard was forewarned that if he was to go into battle he would die “O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!” King Richard, somewhat aware of his destiny, still goes into battle the next morning where he meets his untimely death. So driven by his power King Richard was not considering the consequences. Richard was given countless opportunities to go against what was evil during his stage of self-loathing, self doubt, doubt in his dream and doubt in his fears but nevertheless his corruption and power hungry persona consumed his-self again.
Al Pacino who played king Richard in “Looking For Richard” as well as the director of the film used the film technique of method acting effectively. Al Pacino had an outburst in frustration about the making of the film, he showed signs of power that mirror the character that he plays. He exclaimed that “I want to be king already”, It has been proven in different studies that actors who become invested in their project start to model the characteristics of the characters that they are playing. Al Pacino who believed that his project had a lot of value to the public became invested in the film and let his character’s emotions get the best of him.
King Richard reimagined dives deeper into the realms of corruption and power and reveals itself in different places.
Looking for Richard explores the temptation of evil that is present in the text, the temptation of evil in King Richard the III can also be revealed in allurement of others into evil. The literary technique of soliloquy is used when King Richard after not being able to retain a lover he then decided that he would turn to;; evil. “And therefore,–since I cannot prove a lover, To entertain these fair well-spoken days,– I am determined to prove a villain, And hate the idle pleasures of these days.” this meaning that he will spend his days hating everything as well as any little pleasure he has.
Language is a vital technique used when talking about power and its influence on King Richard’s political status and following, King Richard used his Linguistic skills to win over the public. King Richard was a very strong willed man and was quite aggressive when it came down to it. In the film looking for richard juxtaposition is utilized where the two monologues of king richard and richmond were cut and put in positions where the director (pacino) wants you to notice the vast difference between richard and richmonds language skills Richmond is a man of god, he mentions God various times throughout his speech to his men when they are going into battle “One that hath ever been God’s enemy.Then, if you fight against God’s enemy, God will, in justice, ward you as His soldiers” in contrast to King Richard who was run by greed, power and arrogance. King richard used the technique of bashing his opponents to get his troops ready for battle rather than relying on talents and faith “If we be conquered, let men conquer us, And not these bastard Britagnes, whom our fathers Have in their own land beaten, bobb’d, and thump’d, And, on record, left them the heirs of shame.” Al Pacino used the difference in these monologue to show the power of both leaders, King Richard was filmed at a angle where he was notably looking down upon his troops portraying that he believed that he was above the men that were fighting alongside him whereas Richmond was filmed at eye level because he was a leader who believed he was equal to the men he was going into battle with.
Pacino used Shakespeare’s literary juxtaposition in a form of film techniques to show the contrast of the two different monologues. Language is used in this text as a vital technique used when talking about power and control that King Richard has over his men and Richmonds Comradery.
To conclude, Reimagination as a concept has the ability to develop an individual’s understanding of the text, in the play ‘King Richard III’ William Shakespeare sheds light upon the period’s political stance on secularism and the belief in free will of the individual. In contrast to Al Pacino’s ‘Looking For Richard’, Pacino reveals the issue that being true to the original doesn’t always mean being authentic. It is therefore displayed that the dissonance between interpretations, challenges the mind of the audience to discover the texts own individual value to them.