The Lost King

3 out of 5

Richard III was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in battle 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. In 1592, William Shakespeare wrote the play, Richard III, which would shape public perception of the monarch for the next 500+ years. Commonly said to be a usurper, a hunchback, an evil nephew slayer, history has not been kind. However, some have sought to champion a less Tudor propaganda fuelled view of the king, with the Richard III Society being the forerunner in this field.

One of the long-held mysteries relating to Richard III was where his remains ended. Whilst some theorised, he was buried under Greyfriars church, urban legend turned historical fact taught that his body was thrown into the River Soar. The Richard III’s Looking For Richard Project was thus set up to determine where the lost king indeed had ended up.

Director Stephen Frears continues his streak of stirring stories of real-life women played by some of the most-respected actresses of this era. His other films include The Queen (Helen Mirren), Philomena (Judi Dench), Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep), and Victoria & Abdul (Judi Dench). He continues this run with Sally Hawkins in the title role of the true story of Philippa Langley. She plays the spirited woman and member of the Richard III society, who was determined to find the king's remains and, in the process, revise the already revisionist history. Adapted from Langley’s book, the film focuses on her efforts to research and raise funds for an archaeological dig to exhume the lost king's remains.

Charming, conventional, and quaint, The Lost King is a motivational historical crowd-pleaser with a sterling turn from Sally Hawkins. It follows her passionate commitment with all the endearing whimsy and obsessive passion you would expect in such an odd real-life tale. The film sees Langley as admirable, but also paints her as a little mad, complete with an apparition of Richard with whom she convenes and is almost infatuated. Seeing her constantly talking to this rather dashing Richard is a little jarring. Especially, when the real-life Langley never claims to have hallucinated the monarch.

Hawkins is fantastic, and Coogan’s script is solid. He also plays her supportive ex-husband well. Those who have watched the news in recent years will go in knowing the end results but will likely still be entertained and engaged, thanks to their earnest passion. However, it does potentially slander the University of Leicester and legal action is now hanging over the film. It seems ironic that a movie so committed to not painting Richard III as a villain may be revising history itself in search of its own narrative antagonist.

Reel Dialogue: The value of history

In a 1948 speech to the House of Commons, Winston Churchill paraphrased George Santayana when he said, 'Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.’ This certainly rings true for many events, including current political ones. It also rings true of the Bible.

The fifth book of the Bible is titled Deuteronomy, which means ‘second law’. It was not a sequel to the original law. It was a remake/reboot for a new generation of Israelites who did not know their own history. And it was not the first time that generations in the Bible were encouraged to learn their history, and make sure they did not repeat past mistakes. The detailed historical record keeping in the Bible is one of the reasons why we can trust that it is true and that Jesus really did exist, die on the Cross and rise again.

“Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.” - Deuteronomy 32: 7