An Amalgamation of Brilliant Acting, Cinematography & Screenplay

Rating: 9/10 (2 May 2020)

The King's Speech is a British historical drama that was directed by Tom Hooper in 2010. The screenplay to the movie was written by David Seidler. The film involved star actors and actresses such as Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. The King's Speech was highly respected by critics. It managed to rightfully win 4 Academy Awards and 7 British Academy Film Awards. Rex Reed declared it the best movie of 2010 (Reed, 2010).
The film presents the private story of a renowned historical figure, King George VI of Britain. In his family circle, he was known as Bertie. Since childhood, he had been troubled by a vocal stammer condition. To cope with this problem, he asks for assistance from a self-taught speech therapist after repeated failures with acclaimed professionals in the field of speech therapy.
The political and social background is portrayed fairly accurately in the movie. It is set in the time of the Great Depression, the fast spreading of fascism overseas, and the appearance of the mass media which became a very powerful force in the daily lives of ordinary citizens of thst time for distribution of any kind of information.
The central idea of the film was to show the courage of an important man who managed to overcome a serious disability. Because of this, The King's Speech is an inspiring and admirable movie that teaches us to be strong and persistent in our intentions. Philip French writes: "Tom Hooper's drama transcends its historical setting to present a compelling portrait of quiet heroism" (French, 2011).
The success of the film owes a lot to the brilliant performances of talented and experienced actors such as Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, who were extremely convincing with their roles. Moreover, the life of the Royal family is shown without too much pathos , grandeur , theatricality and with assumed accuracy in light of the common man.
Colin Firth plays England's King George VI, the pivotal character of the movie. He was awarded with The Best Actor for his role. In a truthful way, Firth shows the life of a man with his personal problems and anxieties. Watching the film, we feel as if we get a glimpse at an ordinary man, and not a king. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Firth tells how he tried to develop the stammer: "I can't really go too much into what the technical thing was, and I don't want to frankly. I've got myself to a place where I was really, trying to speak and sometimes it felt that way." (Ward, 2011).
Australian speech teacher Lionel Logue performed by Geoffrey Rush is a convincing character as well. His natural body language draws our particular attention. The director Tom Hooper explains that Rush attended the lessons at Lecoq Mime School in Paris. That is why he carries himslef so brilliant (Appelo, 2011). But it seems that his acting talent is limitless. Rush is also brilliant with the expression of human emotions in different situations. His character fails lose his dignity despite all difficulties. The character he portrays knows his worth. The collaboration of Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush shows the highest level of acting which is a treat for the viewers. The actors expressed the psychological nuances in the relationships of their characters naturally and accurately which enhanced their camaraderie on-screen.
Helena Bonham Carter plays the role of the king's wife. We must admit that this role is in stark contrast to her usual roles of fantasy characters . that it is unusual for her. In her career, she used to play fantasy characters or strange women with insane make-up. Here she appears completely different - calm graveful and noble duly fitting a royal member of the family. She plays a devoted spouse of a monarch without the slightest hint of extravagance. Though she acts in a secondary role and appears in the frame less than other characters , she has managed to leave a mark with the audience because of her convincing , different yet relatable portrayal as a devoted and caring wife.
A victor of the biggest film awards, this is a story of a victory over a personal struggle to achieve something for the greater good - it teaches us to appreciate familial relations and loyal friendships. It also teaches us that help can be found in the least expected places . With properly placed humour and perfect portrayals , The King's Speech is definitely worth a watch.