THE LOST KING

UK, 2022, 108 minutes, Colour.

Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Harry Lloyd, Julian Firth, James Fleet, Mark Addy, Lee Ingleby.

Directed by Stephen Frears.

Richard Plantagenet. Richard III transcending his winter of discontent to his summer as the usurping villain. Shakespeare’s version, of course (it’s deeply into this writer’s consciousness - in his last year at school, studying Henry IV Part I, the world of Hal, Falstaff and Hotspur, early in the 15^th century), he was overpowered by Laurence Olivier dramatically, forever Richard. (And a shock to learn now that Richard was only 32 when he died.)

Shakespeare prevailed but then the true believers and crusaders (from novelist, Josephine Tey, to Richard III clubs, Ricardians) laid down the gauntlet against a politically-inspired calumny by the Tudors and Elizabethan playwrights.

Philippa Langley. English, wife and mother, living in Edinburgh, suffering a debilitating ME and chronic fatigue syndrome, on whose exploits and book, The Search for King Richard, this film is based.

Watching a local performance, initially unwillingly, Philippa begins to question what she has seen and heard, buys books, reads intensely, makes contact with Ricardians, is intrigued, fascinated, obsessed, on a quest to vindicate the good opinion of Richard. And then to discover his burial place. We know that in 2012, she found it (in collaboration (stormy) with the authorities of the University of Leicester. MBE in 2015 for services. 2018, having persuaded the Royal Family to declare that Richard was a legitimate king of England and not a usurper.

This film by Stephen Frears (more than 50 years an interesting film and television work) in collaboration with Steve Coogan, writer, actor, as they did with Philomena, aims to make this a highly enjoyable cinema treat. And, judging by large crowds in cinemas, older of course, during high temperature summer days, they have succeeded.

Yes, it is pro-Philippa and, yes, some of the University boffins and managers appear as self-centred, acting unprofessionally, something which commentators question and refer to the documentary, King Richard, the King in the Car Park, 2013. But this is fine British filmmaking that knows its audience.

According to the rehabilitation of Richard and his mere 32 years, the questioning of his dastardly deeds, moves him from something like a manipulating, cruel tyrant (with, as actor Eric Porter once said of Shylock, “an ingrown soul”) to a portrait of a good man, possibly a great King, with a sense of justice (establishing the principle of innocence until proven guilty), a king who might have  united England. But, Bosworth Field, Henry VII, the Tudors… The way Philippa Langley speaks of him, he is all things to all people like the Jesus of the combined four Gospels or Jean Valjean in the various versions of Les Miserables, an omnivert. But, no, he was defeated, his kingdom for a horse (no, that was Shakespeare’s line). John, Philippa Langley’s ex-husband, wonders aloud what the 16^th’s century England would have been like with him, no Reformation…

Re the portrait of Philippa, an initial caution. We remember that she was suffering debilitating enmities and chronic fatigue syndrome, tired, sometimes listless, not always acting according to her true and full self. But, once she begins her quest to vindicate Richard, she comes alive, her ex-husband and sons discovering her at her best, as do we the audience.

The evidence from the screenplay is that she is quite introverted, certainly inner energy. She does not like going out particularly. She enjoys reading. But, once she is on her quest, out she goes into the world – although, it is interesting that at the final digging, she can’t stay watching, she retreats, by herself, to a cafe. It is when she goes on her quest, that she becomes more decisive than she has been, often relying on others for final decisiveness, but making moves for research, for fundraising, for pursuing the goal of finding the king’s remains.

A word of praise for Sally Hawkins. One reviewer remarked that she never gives a bad performance – and she usually communicates on screen the power of fragile strength.

The screenplay also indicates other aspects of Philippa’s personality. Several times during the film, the academics and business types tend to dismiss her because her perceptions are based on hunches (while they want facts) and she does use the word “feel” many times in her defence of Richard. Later, a friend from the city of Leicester does advise her to drop the words and language of hunches and feelings in her presentations for the future.

Which does suggest, perhaps more than suggest, she is initially somewhat self-effacing, it is her quest that brings her to her full of self. Her innermost drive is a subjective assessment of Richard III, critique of the prejudices against him, motivation that he should be rehabilitated. This is her inner strength, keeping her going on the quest. And while people observe this in her and react to it, it is in her face-to-the-world intuitions that they have to deal with her, the fruits of her detailed research, her discovery that Richard was not thrown into the river at Leicester but that he was buried, her exploration of maps, the possibilities of where he might have been, was probably, buried.

And her quest is dramatised in the film as the excavations in the Leicester car park begin, and the initial finding of some bones which the archaeologists think belong, probably, to some Friar. But, she becomes more determined that they are the bones of Richard, spending her remaining £800 to extend the excavation, and is proven right.

So, Sally Hawkins’ Philippa Langley, dramatises an affirmation/ vindication of the strength of this particular kind of personality and its potential for development/individuation.

1. Richard III? The last of the Plantagenet’s? Defeated it Bosworth field? Henry VII and the assent of the tutors? The blackening of his name? Shakespeare’s play, a successful play, performed over the centuries, reinforcing Richard III as villain? Shakespeare maintaining the Tudor version? Voices to rehabilitate him over the centuries? In the 20^th and 21^st-century is? Audience interest in Richard III and this search for him?
2. Based on a true story, the work of Philippa Langley? The portrait of Philippa and her quest? Audiences identifying with her, her cause, critical?
3. The Edinburgh settings, the city and Castle, the streets, the theatre, bookshops, atmosphere? Homes? Pubs? The train to Leicester? The station, the city of Leicester, streets, buildings, offices, the University, the car park? The musical score?
4. The initial impressions of Philippa Langley, at work, not being promoted, her confrontation of the boss? Her experience of suffering from ME? Chronic fatigue syndrome? The effect on her, insomnia, at work? Listless? The marriage, John and his leaving, with another woman, her being at home with her sons, her relationship with her sons? John and his collaboration with their upbringing, driving them to school, conversations, outings? Taking them to see Skyfall and the conversation about license to kill the number of characters killed? Going to see the play, her not wanting to go, with her son, the impact of the play, attention to Richard, the interval, the discussion with the parent, alleging that Shakespeare was contemporary, her later going to the car and telling him of 100 years between events and play?
5. The device of having Richard appear, in his robes, crown? The device indicating Philippa is growing obsession with the King, seeing him, part of the consciousness, his expressions, waiting, watching, eventually speaking, the conversations, his being hurt about the death of the Princess and the tower, on the bridge where his remains were allegedly thrown into the river? The final, her getting closer, her being summoned to the site, and his writing his horse through the city? His satisfaction, in armour on the battlefield, Bosworth, his farewell, the visor? And Philippa encountering Peter, the actor, with his daughter?
6. Philippa and her curiosity about Richard, buying the books, reading them, finding out about the club, visiting, the eccentrics, giving her opinions, conversations with them, the variety of leads, Internet connections, interviews, further information, John Ashdown Hill and his DNA investigations, going to the lecture at Leicester, asking questions of the lecturer, her being dismissed? Her communicating by indicating hunches and feelings and academics critical of her? John, the discussions, his initial scepticism, support, the selling of the car and the anonymous donation, from the boys? Wanting to make contact in Leicester, the connection with the former mayor, arranging the meeting with Richard Buckley, his listening, Matthew and the assistant, wanting to ignore the request, the cut off from the University, Buckley changing his mind, contacting Philippa, agreeing to the excavations, his signing away the exhumation rights – and the consequences excluding Philippa concerning the burial and coat of arms? The encounters with Richard Taylor, the authorities at the University, the board meeting, the sympathetic chair, Taylor and his interventions?
7. Philippa and the quest, coming alive, more activity despite her physical condition? The contacts, the information, putting it together, with Richard Buckley, the map of the city, the map from the past, Herrick’s garden, the Franciscan friary? The University making contact with Buckley again, his working for them?
8. The raising finance, the local group, sending out the email, the many responses? The city of Leicester supporting, then withdrawing?
9. The beginning of the excavations, the drama, the trenches, the limited funds? The finding of bones? Not in the place expected? Philippa and her hunch that this was Richard? The university against this? Her demanding further excavations near the bones? Buckley going off home? Philippa going by herself? The detailed brushing of the soil from the bones, the opening up of the skeleton, the hit on the skull, the curvature? Everybody gathering? Richard Taylor taking over? The verification?
10. The public announcements, the University taking over, Richard Buckley is Guest, chief archaeologist? Philippa not invited to the stage? The device of having the schoolgirls invited to give a lecture, the suggestion given by Buckley? The big reception, the University taking credit? Philippa going to the school? (And commentators and the documentary on the story indicating that Philippa had more prominence and Richard Taylor highly critical of this film for his characterisation.)
11. The funeral, the reinstatement, ceremony, the discussions about the burial committee and the coat of arms…?
12. 2018, the vindication of Richard, that he was a legitimate king, not a usurper?