Seeing “The King’s Speech”

Image via Wikipedia

This week, I went to the movies twice in three days to see the same film: “The King’s Speech.”

Sure, I loved it because in many ways, it is right up my alley: the amazing and charming Colin Firth in the performance of a lifetime, the fun of seeing three Harry Potter actors together in different roles (Helena Bonham Carter, Timothy Spall and Michael Gambon), the costumes, the accents, the historical nature and veracity of the plot. There are some wonderful themes and quotes: the importance of finding and using your voice, the difficult nature of being a good parent when you have no role model, “You don’t have to be afraid of the same things you were afraid of when you were five.” I don’t know what movie Manohla Dargis saw, but I certainly didn’t find it “overly ingratiating,” nor did I want to follow the feckless abdicating Edward instead of watching his brother ascend to the throne at an incredibly difficult time, both for Europe and the monarchy.

But I think what I found most compelling was how well the movie portrayed the incredible amount of courage required to become completely dependent on someone else, to be completely vulnerable to a person who has no obligation to respect that choice other than basic human decency or a commitment to their profession. King Edward VI was a naval officer who served in the first World War and led his country through the second, but in the film, his greatest qualities are this particular brand of courage and a dogged persistence that is breathtaking to watch. He opens himself completely (though slowly and reluctantly) to a man he must decide to trust, in order to banish the stammer that has haunted him all his life. I found it inspiring beyond words to express it, and I think you might too.

Related Articles

• The King’s Speech: True blood or right royal dud? (guardian.co.uk)
• ‘The King’s Speech’: Talk Live To Its Stars (huffingtonpost.com)
• The King’s Speech (mirror.co.uk)