The King's Speech

If you have seen this year’s Oscar, then you would probably know how well The King’s Speech was made. From acting to screen play to directing, the highly praised movie was one of the best films made in 2010. It’s quite interesting to learn that the movie was produced by an independent film production company based in London, England - See-Saw Films, instead of a big companies like BBC Films. In addition, Tom Hooper is a rising director from London, who has focused mostly on television series. Thus, it maybe both element of the independent films that made The King’s Speech more aesthetically pleasing in the aspect of cinematography and the screen play.

            The King’s Speech is based on a true story. King George VI – played by Colin Firth – suffers from a speech impediment. With the rising use of the radio in the 1930s, a speech impediment was detrimental to the loyal family. As a duke, George VI had to give public announcements through the radio or even at a public event. However, because of his speech problems, Prince George VI was losing his confidence to contribute to the national politics. In finding a remedy for his problem, he seeks every speech therapist in England. Sick and tired of going through crazy therapies ranging from speaking while stuffing the mouth with marbles to smoking cigarette to alleviate nervousness, Prince George VI puts his last bet on a shabby actor – whom calls himself a therapist, not a doctor – Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush).

Although Lionel is not a licensed professional, he takes the duke through special trainings that fixes the innate problem to his speech impediment – to provide an opportunity to regain confidence about speaking. Through trial and error, tears and smiles, the gap between the loyal heir and an aged actor became nonexistent towards the end of the movie.

Although this piece of history from England maybe a very interesting historical fact, without the artistic directing and cinematography, the movie could have been very dry with merely the historical element. Every scene seemed to be very thought out; especially the proportions with the space in the room and the actors were very different from the conventional scenes. For example, the character’s face was often concentrated on one side of the screen, providing more negative space. On top of the unusual proportions on the screen, the color palette – gray and brown – in the movie fit right into the theme, giving a very neutral but a hint of gloomy mood to the film. All these components put together created every scene a piece of artwork.

Of course, the superb acting needs to be recognized. Colin Firth has acted the role of royalty in several movies. What shocked the audience was his ability to act a dignifying duke with a speech impediment. He exemplified the frustration with the disorder as well as with his country perfectly, delivering every sense of what the character feels. In addition, Helena Bonham Carter showed that she is a superb actress who can succeed in any genre, from someone bizarre as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter movie to someone as sweet and elegant as the Queen Elizabeth in The King’s Speech. Definitely two thumbs up for the actors as well as the casting director.

Overall, the movie is one of the best made films of 2010 with a great history lesson, artistic scenes, and a lesson of friendship across the social status.