The King's Speech: Best Picture

I rarely get out to see movies that are not kid-oriented, but we saw The King's Speech before it won the Best Picture. Not since Forrest Gump have I seen a more perfectly executed alignment of storytelling, acting, cinematography, music and art direction in one movie. The King's Speech is an uplifting experience that will stay with me for a long time.

The driving force is the relationship between King George VI (Colin Firth) and Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Logue is recruited as a vocal coach to help the Prince with stuttering. The story follows the king as he deals with this debilitating speech disorder and its impact on his life. In the meantime, the duties of kingship are unexpectedly thrust upon him as his brother Edward (Guy Pearce) abdicates the throne. Rush is sublime as the unorthodox mentor-coach; Colin Firth's magnificent performance as George VI earned him the Academy Award.

The relationship between Logue and Prince Albert ("Bertie") begins rather roughly, as Albert is only going along with this plan because his wife signed him up. During therapy sessions, Lionel insists that he be allowed to address the Prince as "Bertie" while Albert calls him Lionel (not Doctor). No titles, just familiar first names. Albert initially refuses treatment, but before he leaves Lionel requests that he make a recording of Hamlet's soliloquy ("to be, or not to be") while loud music is playing. Lionel asserts that he won't stutter when he can't hear himself talk. (I think it is no accident that Hamlet is all about who the rightful king is.) Lionel knows that he must break through the wall of royal authority and gain respect from his student in order to help him.

As Lionel works with Albert on speech techniques, Albert reveals some of the painful childhood experiences which contributed to his condition. But they have a falling out when Lionel suggests that Albert could be king instead of that irresponsible brother of his, Edward. Albert accuses Lionel of treason and mocks him for his failed acting career. Edward abdicates anyway, and Albert must take over. He needs Lionel's coaching once again to prepare for the coronation. In a climactic scene, Lionel provokes the future king by sitting in his chair (the throne) and ignoring Albert's protestations. Finally Albert tells him to cut it out. "I have a voice!" he proclaims. What we really hear is, "I have something to say. I am worthy of speaking. I am worthy of being heard." Logue has been trying to get Bertie to affirm this all along and it is a turning point in their friendship.

Albert, now King George VI, goes on to deliver the Speech, a 1939 radio broadcast addressing the nation on the brink of war. Colin Firth's delivery is so gripping, it's hard to believe this is a speech by a talking head-of-state and not the final battle scene from Gladiator! It is amazingly true to the original (check out the comparison), with the addition of Beethoven's 7th Symphony in the background for the perfect dramatic effect.

It's easy to be swept away by the movie industry's penchant for romanticizing the truth, but in this case I really enjoyed seeing some old-fashioned values and ideals lifted up in this portrayal of a historical time.

The relationship and love between George and Elizabeth his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) is revealed in a positive light. From the start, Elizabeth is actively concerned for her husband - she is the one who originally seeks out Mr. Logue as a prospective therapist for her husband. She is there supporting, encouraging and comforting him throughout.

The cultural attitude of the times took very seriously the sanctity of marriage and the implications of divorce. The public agreed that Edward's shenanigans with the still-married divorcee Mrs. Simpson would clearly disqualify him for the position of king/head of the Church of England. Today, sanctions against divorce are considered obsolete: Prince Charles has been able to get on with his life with second wife Camilla. We make efforts not to stigmatize divorce; we are more sympathetic. Still, it was refreshing to see fidelity and divorce from the point of view of that era.

For the royal family, marriage is very much a public affair. Edward was more concerned about his own personal needs ("I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love") and was not able to refrain from adultery. Never mind that someone in his position is supposed to set a good example to everyone else. Marriage for him was about love and passion. He lacked that sense of duty, commitment and sacrifice that makes a good marriage last through the hard times when you're just not feeling the love. Edward's self-centeredness contrasts starkly with George and Elizabeth's steadfastness as a couple.

Did you know that in England, the monarch is still by constitution the head of the Church? During the 1930-40's, one could mention God freely in public without having people jump all over it. King George VI said, "but we can only do the right as we see the right, and reverently commit our cause to God. If one and all we keep resolutely faithful to it, ready for whatever service or sacrifice it may demand, then with God's help, we shall prevail."

Today, I'm not sure if one could make that same speech and not have the media pick it apart for the (merely two) references to God. Certainly many political leaders end their public addresses with "God bless the United States of America" but it has become somewhat of a generic tagline. Present day leaders, knowing that their constituents are a diverse group, would be reluctant to "commit our cause to God." However, we as a nation still to turn to God in times of great distress, such as after 9/11.

The film contains some thought-provoking twists concerning authority and social status. Lionel's thesis for the use of first names was that an equal footing would allow a more authentic atmosphere in which real progress could be made. Later we discover that Lionel is not a doctor with official credentials, but that he learned his craft in the real world, helping war-traumatized soldiers in Australia. Is this a betrayal of trust? Well, a) he never said he was a doctor, even on his business card, and he never let Albert address him as doctor; b) at least he didn't try to choke the king to death with a mouthful of marbles; and c) his methods were effective in the long run. So was Lionel being deceitful, or were we being assumptive? Lionel's authority comes from real-life experience, not a formal degree.

Lionel takes therapist-patient confidentiality so seriously that he doesn't even tell his own wife that royalty was coming to call. The scene where Elizabeth shows up for dinner and surprises Lionel's wife is delightful. Her husband is on a first name basis with the King; the flustered Mrs. Logue can barely manage a proper curtsey, yet she offers the royal couple the best hospitality she can muster. Both ladies show their true quality in the encounter.

So we see the appropriateness of both formality and familiarity, and good old-fashioned manners. Even though we treat each other more casually now, it is still important in society to acknowledge those in positions of higher status or authority with courtesy and respect. On the other hand, one must not assume that a diploma or a pedigree automatically confers authority - that authority still must be earned and proven.

Some critics have pointed out that certain aspects of the film are not historically accurate. Of course they aren't - this is entertainment, not a history lecture. Some claim that King George's stutter wasn't that severe. But old footage clearly shows how he struggled. Colin Firth says "I choked up watching him. It's very moving because it's not just the struggle. It's the courage with which he deals with the struggle."

Historians point out the pre-war politics of appeasement was greatly downplayed, and that George practically committed constitutional heresy when he showed his support for Chamberlain after meeting with the Germans. Also, Winston Churchill is portrayed more sympathetically in the film. Historically he was a supporter of Edward, who was really much more of a loose cannon than we see in the movie. But this is not a movie about politics, Edward or Churchill, it is about George VI. It's a classic underdog story of a man's struggle to overcome, to slay his demons, and to step up to his destiny. Edward was supposed to have been the rightful king by birthright, but Bertie showed us what true kingship is. By doing something as mundane as making a speech. I think that is why The King's Speech is a brilliant movie.