How is Shakespeare’s play Richard III (1591) reshaped in Al Pacino’s docudrama Looking for Richard (1996) to appropriately convey the composers’ original meaning to a more contemporary society?

In Looking for Richard, a documentary by Al Pacino, the drama of Shakespeare’s Richard III is recast for a modern audience. Pacino goes about setting up the story for the audience by splicing scenes from the play with commentary, historical discussions, interviews, and backstage discussions about how the play should be done.
By presenting the different angles of how the play is being put together, Pacino asks the same questions that many of his American audience might ask in their attempt to grasp what happens in Richard III. By splicing the different ideas together, he can help the audience begin to grasp Shakespeare in more depth, in the depth that an actor or director might achieve through the study and work that they put in to understand how to put on the play and do it justice.
The documentary doesn’t just show to audience Richard III, but instead it interweaves the action and drama of the play with explanations and commentary. That way, the audience can see the words, actions, and drama of the play in a new light that reveals more about the meaning of the words. For example, in the documentary, Pacino gives historical background on the War of the Roses—the historical event that immediately precedes the action in Richard III. By providing that background, Pacino can explain the motivations, relationships, and words of the characters in the play, making it easier for the audience to understand.
The documentary does not redo the language or change the setting or costumes. Instead, it changes the context of how the play is presented to open it up for a contemporary audience to understand. This is an important concept: often plays deviate from fidelity to the text, seeking to “translate” Shakespeare into modern parlance rather than make it understandable through acting and action. Pacino uses the context around how the play is put on to make it more relatable to the audience and, with the production, is able to help people understand and appreciate the play.