Oscar Nominated The Kings Speech historical, m-m-moving p-p-picture!
By Katarzyna Barnak
Th th the Kings Sp sp eech tells the st sto story of a k k king who c c cannot sp sp eak in public due to h his stammer. Based on actual events and the life of King George VI, The King’s Speech grabs you by the collar and pulls you into the shoes of the frantic king, provoking you to feel a mix of emotion as though you were the one at the podium. Not many movies are this genuine, which is what makes it so special.
The movie starts off with interesting camera shots of empty, narrow rooms and a microphone. The mic is the dominant object in the focused shot and everything behind it becomes blurry. It threatens the viewer with its overpowering position. This is followed by the Duke of York (Colin Firth) walking to a stadium to give a royal proclamation on behalf of his father, King George V. Upon his arrival, the people in the stands rise and thousands of attentive eyes and ears turn to the duke. This is yet another splendid camera angle followed by another focus on the metal microphone and foggy image of the crowd, emphasizing the duke’s lightheadedness as a response to the enormous pressure. And then the best part, the duke opens his mouth… “…egh, ghe, ghe… ghe, gha…” is all that comes out. The Duke of York, or Bertie (as his family likes to call him), is so terrified that he can barely force himself to make a sound – let alone a word. The public grumbles and shakes their heads in dismay at the political figure who cannot speak for them, and might eventually become the king. One cannot help but feel sorry for Bertie.
It is Bertie’s wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), who finds physicians that attempt to help him stop his stammer. And just as Bertie is about to give up hope, Elizabeth finds Mr. Lionel Logue, a poor, lower-class speech therapist. When she persuades her husband to see Logue, Bertie is in for a surprise by Logue’s methods. First off, Logue insists that the two treat each other as equals and refuses to call him “your majesty.” He instead uses “Bertie,” a more personal option.
The dialogues the two characters share are the most entertaining and most sincere. There are many memorable, ingenious lines. My favorites were the ones that provided a bit of comic relief in the otherwise overwrought tone of the movie. One in particular that I liked was when the duke takes out a cigarette and Logue tells him to put it away adding, “My house, my rules.” The duke argues that his physicians say it “relaxes the throat.” Lionel says that they are a bunch of idiots. The duke counters him, “They’ve all been knighted,” and Lionel responds, “Makes it official then.”
What I liked best about The King’s Speech is that it kept me on edge. I found myself rooting for Bertie on every occasion he had to speak in public. While this was only a historical drama, Bertie transferred his tension onto the viewer, creating a suspenseful mood throughout the entire movie. With a stupendous performance from Colin Firth, the film is magnificent in every aspect. Geoffrey Rush is also fantastic in his portrayal of Lionel Logue, the man who is helping the King overcome his speaking trouble. Geoffrey Rush is known for playing the mischievous Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean, but his versatility as an actor makes that hard to catch. Both actors received Oscar nominations for this film, which I think they both earned. Firth, however, outdid himself and I think that this may very well be the best performance of his career. He embodied King George VI with such conviction and raw sincerity that it made the dead monarch seem contemporary. I applaud the casting directors and anyone who has ever had to speak in public.
