The King's Speech

The King’s Speech (released December 10, 2010) is the inspiring story of King George VI of England and his struggle with his rather sever stutter. The film stars Colin Firth as King George VI, Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Longue the King’s Australian speech therapist.

Colin Firth excels at portraying the struggling prince and eventual king. His stammering is incredibly realistic and his display of self-doubt is remarkable. His growth as a character becomes evident in his interactions with Geoffrey Rush. He goes to meet the speech therapist at the insistence of his wife, dislikes him immediately, and storms out of the first session in anger. As the story progresses, however, the king-to-be begins to trust and respect the therapist more and more. Colin Firth ably showcases this transformation. Eventually he comes to look at Lionel Longue as a friend and both his familiarity with and his dependence on him grows.

Geoffrey Rush plays an incredibly interesting character. Lionel Longue had no formal training in speech therapy; he was a somewhat successful theatre actor who attempted to help returning Australian WWI veterans who ended up with speech issues. Rush portrays him as a homey and familiar man genuinely concerned for those with whom he is working. He is charming and amusing, much of the humor in the film comes from him. Rush also excels at showing the awkwardness facing a “common man” forced to interact with royalty and the politicians and nobles surrounding them. His faithfulness to the king is unshakeable despite the hurtful snubs and words that occasionally emanate from the king.

Helena Bonham Carter. Where does one begin? In this film she plays an incredibly extraordinary normal woman, demonstrating that she can excel at more than just the bizarre. Her portrayal of Elizabeth is very moving. Indeed, her role personifies the old adage that “behind every great man there is a great woman.” Carter exemplifies all the love and devotion of a woman determined to help her husband achieve his true greatness. She is a business woman with Longue, she is a wife to George VI, she’s a mother to the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Her performance, as always, is impeccable.

The screenplay was very well written. Scenes such as the king-to-be’s difficulty in telling a story to his daughters due to his speech are superimposed between his failures at public speaking and his anguish filled practice sessions with Longue. One gets a strong feel for the humanity of the man. Another contrast was afforded by George VI’s older brother who found himself unable to “man up” and accept his responsibility to the country when it conflicted with his then scandalous love life and George who, though he did not want to be king and felt inadequate, strove to become what his country needed. One caveat: to those offended by language, there are two scenes where dozens of strong curse words are used.

The soundtrack fitted the movie very well – a well crafted combination of Beethoven and original pieces. At the climax of the movie, as George VI gives a speech announcing Britain’s entrance into WWII, the second movement from Beethoven’s 7^th symphony is played creating the perfect mood for the in tempore belli speech. This movie was as nearly perfect as any I have seen.