The Kings Speech

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JoeMaguire's picture
JoeMaguire
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Feb 1 2011 23:15
The Kings Speech

Possibly the most important British film for some time and one that seems to have had the universal backing from the major ceremonies on both sides of the Atlantic.

Anyone seen it yet?
I thought it was standard fare with both Firth and Bonham-Carter not adding anything particularly amazing to their roles, but as always Rush was good. Plot and general atmosphere of the film was predictable and clearly aimed as an audience pleaser more than anything. Though it did not pull punches with Edwards politics.

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JoeMaguire
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Feb 1 2011 23:15

Hitchens of all people was today criticising various myths around Chruchill and the Royals concerning Hitler.

Anyone want to deconstruct it further?

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petey
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Feb 2 2011 04:18

i saw it, i liked it but didn't think it was great quite. i'm always impressed by guy pearce, i first saw him in l.a. confidential where i thought he matched russell crowe and has had a more interesting career since.

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Boris Badenov
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Feb 2 2011 05:05

It looks like a pretty uninspiring feel-good story with a "royal twist" from what I've seen in the trailer(s). I'll probably watch it but only for the historical detail.

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Devrim
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Feb 2 2011 07:42

It seems to have got pretty good reviews, and people are saying it is a good film. It certainly seems to be favourite to sweep the Oscars.

I bought the DVD a couple of weeks ago, but haven't been able to bring myself to watch it yet.

Devrim

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Ellar
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Feb 2 2011 10:55

I've been told it's really good but it looks a bit standard to me, won't be nearly as good as Black Swan

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Alf
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Feb 2 2011 12:02

There's a review by Christopher Hitchens in the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/31/the-kings-speech-gross-falsification

He argues that the film distorts Churchill's role by glossing over his long-standing infatuation with the pro-Hitler Edward. Of course, Hitchens is writing from a pro-war, anti-fascist anti-appeasement standpoint.

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Vonn
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Feb 21 2011 07:40

My mom just went to see it.

I don't know much, but I suspected it might've been pro-royalist propaganda.

What is it about, really?

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JoeMaguire
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Feb 21 2011 08:17
IMDB wrote:
Tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stammer and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country through war.

The film was clear that Edward had pretty nasty politics (he was pretty much quarantined to the Bahamas by the British government for supporting Hitler), but the central point of the film is the symmetry between George's disability and the war that Britain is trying to get through. Which pretty much lends to the "we are all in this together" class collaborationist mentality that is fostered by imperialist wars. It also plays up the myth that the British were totally against war and were fervently always opposed to Hitler, which is wrong.

Hitchen's points out the piece is whitewash because at points prior to WWII a war against the Soviet Union was seen favorable by the British ruling class. The relationship between Logue and George is actually pretty preposterous on quite a few levels.