The Making of a King

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2015)

In 1925 King George V asks his second son, Albert, the Duke of York (Colin Firth), to give the closing speech of the Empire Exhibition in Wembley Stadium, London. The Duke's stammer ensures that he will fail wretchedly. In 1934 (the next scene), he is treated by a portly – and maybe a quack – speech therapist in the baggiest trousers you ever saw; his tailor must have come from Pillsbury. Anyway, the analyst encourages the Duke to smoke as he says it will relax him and give him confidence. Hmmm  He also presents the royal personage with seven sterilized ice cubes to hold into his mouth while he is supposed to read from a text. Gagging, the poor Duke fails miserably. And so we are introduced to the movie's theme: the treatment of the future king's speech impediment.
Now the Duke's brother, the Duke of Windsor (Guy Pearce), the heir apparent, obviously has character flaws that hinge against his kingly leadership. Worse, he wants to marry twice divorced American commoner Wallis Simpson (Eve Best). But as the King of England is also the Defender of the Faith (Church of England), there is a dichotomy, to say the least. The Church opposes remarriage if a former spouse is still alive. And the royals and empire peoples would not accept it. Furthermore, the British government, including the Prime Minister, would resign, forcing a crisis and general elections. Hey, Duke of Windsor, can't you find just one young and attractive lass in the empire to be a king's wife? Anyway, upon the death of the Duke's authoritative father King George V (Michael Gambon) in 1936 and the abdication of the throne later that year by King Edward VIII (former Duke of Windsor), Albert becomes king.
Along the way Duke is tenderly supported by his loyal wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) and is treated secretly by Australian speech therapist (and failed actor), Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), who does not have the proper credentials but has the experience to make his untraditional treatment work. Logue's methods are unorthodox, to say the least. But he does notice that the future king does not stammer when he sings or swears. He obtains further clues when investigating the king's background. There is the matter of protocol that one must keep when dealing with royalty: Logue calls the future king "Bertie." Over the years the two testy characters will go through a rather difficult relationship as they bicker on the treatment and have periods where they disconnect. It makes for uncomfortable situations. Eventually they overcome their class differences and personality quirks to have their friendship prosper for the rest of their lives. The picture ends in September 1939, when King George VI must deliver his first war address to his people and rally them against the threat of Adolph Hitler, whose troops had just invaded Poland and begun World War II in Europe. The Fuhrer had long ago mastered the art of public speaking. With the help of Logue he is successful.
This is an actor's picture, and succeeds well. Some may find it uninteresting, as they will compare dramatic monarchical movies from Great Britain's remarkable history (like "The Lion in Winter," "Richard III," or "A Man for All Seasons") to a picayune plot involving a speech impediment of a king. But Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush can act. The era is pictured well by interior stage sets, and the film is entertaining. "The King's Speech" even won the Oscar for the Best Picture of the Year.
Postscript: King George died in 1952. His oldest daughter, Elizabeth, succeeded him and rules as of this writing.