Wednesday, October 25, 2017

MODERN PARALLELS FOR RICHARD III

 There are two scenes in Richard the Third for which I can find parallels in modern drama or in other historical situations. I don't mean that these scenes are directly related to Richard the Third; I mean that they illuminate Richard the Third and seem to breathe the same spirit.


 The first scene is a scene between Willem Dafoe and Laura Dern in Wild at Heart. In the scene Willem Dafoe enters Laura Dern's hotel room and begins a bizarre seduction. First he tells her that he has to piss and then he makes a totally vulgar joke about pissing on her head. The joke is brazen and disgusting and completely out of nowhere. Very Richard III. Then, after taunting Laura Dern about her seeming fear of him, Dafoe proceeds to  persuade and cajole Laura Dern into uttering the phrase, "Fuck me." Finally, with Dafoe practically breathing on her neck, Dern finally says exactly what he wants her to say. Dafoe simply laughs and tells her that maybe he will take her up on it sometime but right now he's too busy.

 This scene has the vulgarity and cruelty that makes it possible to understand why Lady Anne is seduced by Richard. Lady and most clearly is something of a nymphomaniac and a masochist. To play the scene in this way gives it psychological depth.

 The second scene that seems to me to apply to Richard  comes from history. In a book called Blood and Splendor, the author recounts a story  involving the Russian dictator Joseph Stalin.  The story tells of a Jewish man who is condemned to death by Stalin at a meeting attended by the other powerful members of Stalin's cabinet. When the man hears Stalin's death sentence, he breaks into tears and begs for his life. Later that night at dinner one of the other members of the cabinet who was there at the time does an imitation of the man begging for his life. This invitation makes Stalin laugh uncontrollably.

 This scene seems to me like something that could be applied when Richard meets James Tyrell to hear about the news of the killing of the children. Richard starts the scene in a state of great worry and trepidation. Then after he hears that the children are dead, he feels great relief. Then in the play He suggests to Terrell that he come to him at after supper to tell him of the deaths. But these lines can be adjusted so that we know Tyrell is telling Richard the story. The camera pulls back so that we only see them talking and as we know that Tyrell is telling Richard the details, Richard begins to laugh uncontrollably in the manner of Stalin.