This film is loosely inspired by the tragic life and fascinating personality of Richard II (king of England 1377-1399).
Richard is the newly crowned son of King Edward. The young and inexperienced king is blissfully unaware of the darkness gathering around him. A dreamer with an artistic soul, Richard is ill equipped to deal with the harsh realities of kingship. He forms the center of a struggle between good and evil that threatens to claim his crown and his life.
John is King Edward’s unscrupulous younger brother and Richard’s uncle. John represents the forces of evil and darkness, as he plots to steal his nephew’s crown and orchestrate his downfall.
The story deals with the dreams of the three kings/potential kings – Edward’s dream that his son will be a great and successful ruler, John’s dream to have the crown for himself, and Richard’s dream to have a peaceful reign and be free to live in the world of art and beauty that he has created for himself. The drama is resolved through a final confrontation in which the spirit of Richard’s father, King Edward, rises from the dead to avenge his son.
