Tom Hooper’s well-mannered period piece (minus some staccato naughty words) is a welcome affront to the 3-D glut spilling out of theaters these days. Also I must emphatically state that I’m not using “well-mannered” as some code for “utterly boring.” This film has brought me more entertainment than anything I’ve seen in the past three months hands down. This liveliness is not accomplished through special effects or fancy editing but rather simple and coherent storytelling thrust on the backs of superbly talented actors.
The King’s Speech opens with the grandeur of Wembley Stadium as it slams into the paralyzing fear of the Duke of York, as played by a subdued Colin Firth. The prince and king-to-be is the official mouthpiece of the royal family on this momentous occasion. The British Empire exhibition at Wembley was one of the largest international events up until that time so there were most likely millions of ears and eyes on the prince. However, the trepidation of his wife and other dignitaries surrounding him, and his almost pantomime movements through the upper decks speak louder than he will. Immediately we know a man controlled by his phobias. Firth manages to convey the world of the prince’s emotions through the twitch of a lip, the darting of eyes, and a hunched demeanor.
Hooper uses tight framing, close-ups, and sound distortion to heighten the claustrophobia and mounting pressure of the prince’s moment in front of the mic. The words are throttled in his throat battling to get out with no chance of easy egress. The disappointment in the crowd grows toxic as silence builds to a merciful cut away. This will become a common theme as Hooper consistently brings us to the brink of words, but pulls the camera away from unnecessary gawking at the prince’s embarrassment. He shows great deference to his struggles and those of many out there who share his condition. In fact the only time we are allowed to languish over language is when there are hard won breakthroughs.
Slowly we discover that the prince’s belayed words are the remnants of unfulfilled promise, blunted pride, and a piercing anger. The prince has gone through an interminable succession of speech therapists to address his “deficiency.” After having given up for the most recent time, his wife, played by Helena Bonham Carter, covertly attempts to procure a practitioner with novel techniques to assuage the easily frustrated prince. She finds a peculiar man in the guise of Lionel Logue, an upwardly mobile striver and a failed actor with a unique approach to word reclamation. Geoffrey Rush balances a wry impishness with a deep empathy for his clients — a far bridge from the expected detachment. It is a bridge of suffering he seems to have crossed himself at one time finding some measure of peace on the other side, mostly due to the love and support of his wife and three children.
This is not a seamless meeting of the minds and Logue has to step over royal custom repeatedly to get through the Duke’s ingrained defenses. The most humorous of these digressions is his insistence on calling the prince “Bertie,” a private family nickname. Nonetheless through repeated conflict these two men born of hurt pride forge a real deep and abiding friendship that crosses their stark class differences. Hooper manages to infuse the film with subtle characterizations that organically flower into intimate realizations about the true motivations of these historical figures. Firth masterfully plays the prince as a braggart child of royalty, certainly scarred and afflicted, but also entitled and dismissive. However at his core he is extremely needy of approval through friendship, leadership, and from his wife and children. In this way both men are connected through their deep, abiding love of family.
The King’s Speech is not only the requisite Oscar front-runner but a deeply respectful film that uses one royal problem to address the multitude of nameless stutterers in the world. I’ve never seen a film handle a condition which precludes smooth dialogue with such sophisticated use of language to inspire, make us laugh, and impart the gravity of war. Hopefully appropriate praise is given to Hooper and screenwriter David Seidler over the next few months for the incredible research and commitment to bringing this story to the masses.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Colin Firth, David Seidler, Duke of York, Geoffrey Rush, George VI, Lionel Logue, The King's Speech, Tom Hooper
