The winner of Best Picture at the 83rd Academy Awards, The King’s Speech, is a moving and often heart wrenching film that looks deep into the personal life of King George the VI (Colin Firth) who reigned as head of the British monarchy from 1936 to 1952. In the film, as in real life, King George, informally known as Albert, struggles with a speech impediment that is especially upsetting for him because of his role in life as a public figure. Desperate to help her husband, his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) seeks out help from a Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a speech therapist who moonlights as a stage actor. After much resistance on Albert’s part to Dr. Logue’s approaches, he forms a very close friendship with the King and becomes his confidant. The title of the film refers to two separate meanings; the speeches the King delivers to his subjects and his stammering problem. To watch the King speak at the beginning of the movie is painful; he is scared and dejected and struggles to speak to even his two daughters. The first scene where the audience sees something amazing happen to the King’s speech is after Dr. Logue has recorded him reading aloud while he has headphones on. His wife walks in and hears him listening to himself; they both are shocked and awed and as a result return to Dr. Logue for more speech training. So the title refers to the King’s impediment but it also refers to something much greater than that. After his brother is abdicated, Albert becomes the King during one of the darkest times in Europe’s history; World War 2. The moving and eloquent speech he is eventually able to deliver in the last scene of the film via the new invention of the radio helps reaffirm British citizens’ faith in their monarchy and humanity. It gives everyone courage. King George VI went on to deliver many more speeches that helped to keep his country strong and united during such a frightful time.
I agree that the beginning of the film is painful to view. It was also heart wrenching as Bertie finally opens up to Lionel about his childhood. For some reason, the part where he said his nanny would pinch him and not feed him almost had me in tears. Given the difficult circumstances of his childhood, it is easier to understand why Bertie is so reluctant to allow anyone in, and why he had trouble speaking. It was great to see him more affectionate with his own children toward the end of the film. It appeared that as he overcame his stammer, he also overcame his fear of being close to others.
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