F-f-f-f-fabulous Film!!
Well, it’s that time of year again – the run-up to the Oscars! Love it or loathe it, if you’re a fan of the big screen you’ll no doubt be trying to cram in as many trips to the cinema as you can before the big night on Sunday. I have to confess that I’ve only managed to see one of the nominated films so far, but I made sure it was a big one.
Nominated for 12 Oscars including Best Film, Best Director (Tom Hooper) and Best Actor (Colin Firth), The King’s Speech was an absolute joy to watch. Any film that can simultaneously bring tears to my eyes and make me laugh out loud on several occasions automatically goes into my top ten!
I have since read reviews which criticise The King’s Speech for its historical and political inaccuracies, particularly concerning the relationship between King George VI and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall). Apparently, our beloved wartime hero, who appears in the film as a close aide to King George VI (Colin Firth) was in actual fact a much closer friend to the outlandish King Edward VIII (Guy Pierce) than his younger brother. In fact, he did everything he could to prevent Edward’s abdication, despite his known connections with the emerging pro-Nazi movement, which was more willing to appease Hitler rather than oppose him. Although King George VI, having assumed the throne in 1936, had no such public allegiances with fascist supporters, he did openly champion Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement and wished for him to remain as Prime Minister even after it became transparently obvious that the policy had failed. More to the point, he had no desire for Mr Churchill to take over as leader, suggesting instead that Lord Halifax be a more suitable replacement; an unelected member of the House of Lords.
However, casting these historical oversights to one side, I am still willing to applaud The King’s Speech as a fantastically watchable film which evokes such warmth and humanity that I daresay even the most pedantic of historians would fail to be moved by. The relationship between the stammering Prince Albert (who later becomes King George VI) and his Australian speech therapist, Mr Logue, (Geoffrey Rush) is something quite beautiful. The unorthodox methods that Logue applies and his insistence on treating the king as he would any other patient, (he calls him Bertie throughout their sessions), regardless of his royal peerage, soon breaks down the obvious barriers of class, wealth and privilege, allowing an unprecedented opportunity for honesty and trust to prevail.
It is this slow build-up of trust between patient and doctor that is so fascinating to watch. Despite several rebukes from the King, Logue persists with his somewhat unconventional manner with remarkable patience and an unperturbed bluntness that brings out a wry, self-deprecating humour from Bertie; a much loved British characteristic that is wonderfully captured by Firth. When asked by Logue if he knows any jokes, he replies, ‘Timing isn’t my strong suit.’
Most of the one-liners, however, come from the therapist himself amid his highly amusing mockery of all the pomp and ceremony that surrounds the British monarchy. In contrast to the stuttering Firth, Geoffrey Rush delivers each one with perfect timing and his slight Australian twang gives an even greater authenticity to his wit. When advising the King not too smoke, Bertie informs him that his royal physicians say it relaxes the throat. ‘They’re idiots’ he says, to which the King retorts, ‘They’ve all been knighted’. ‘That makes it official then,’ Logue quips in response.
We must not forget the equally commendable supporting role of Helena Bonham-Carter who plays the King’s wife, Elizabeth. She is the one who sets up the first meeting between Logue and Bertie and is portrayed as a wonderfully loving and supportive wife and mother throughout. Her clear disdain of Edward’s relationship with the contrastingly brash Mrs Simpson is also not overlooked. When commenting to Churchill on the American divorcee’s influence over her brother-in-law, she curtly states, ‘Apparently she has certain skills - acquired at an establishment in Shanghai.’
Guy Pierce is also brilliant in his portrayal of Edward VIII’s caddish behaviour and blatant disregard of his regal, not to mention moral obligations. His irresponsible nature and selfish indulgence is highlighted in the heated exchange with Bertie, when he cruelly mocks his brother’s infliction; a devastating reminder of the younger royal’s childhood taunts. It is this emotional scene that provides the catalyst for change in the relationship between Bertie and Logue. Spurred by an inner rage and sense of injustice, Bertie opens up to his therapist and a series of personal disclosures about his past helps Logue to get to the root of the problem and paves the way for a successful cure.
To sum up, The King’s Speech is not a historical documentary, nor is it a royal biography and packing in too many historical details would not have served the story of Hooper’s King very well. We, the humble audience, are not intended to question the King’s political misjudgments nor his unconstitutional errors. Instead, we are clearly intended to empathise with this man’s personal inner struggle to become a strong public voice in a time of absolute crisis. We are also reminded of the undeniable courage that was required in order to overcome his physical and psychological affliction and fulfil his national duty of being king; a role he never imagined he’d have to undertake and one that he certainly never wanted.
