Posted on 01/17/2011 6:51:20 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
You will love “The King’s Speech,” a new movie about Great Britain in the '30s, a time of hesitation and then greatness, when the country reluctantly faced up to the challenge of Hitler and Nazism, two years before the United States similarly faced up.
As with many great films, “Speech” is a personal movie inside a historical movie.
The “personal” movie is the story of a character struggling to overcome a disability.
In “Speech,” the drama is the true story of the future King George VI, who had suffered from a severe stammer all his life.
The story begins in 1925, when Prince Albert (he didn’t take on the name “George” until he assumed the throne in 1936), attempts to give a brief speech at Wembley Stadium outside of London.
It’s a painful scene to watch, as the prince struggles to get his words out, as tens of thousands look on--and then look away from the pitiful spectacle.
After that embarrassment, he resolves never again to make a fool of himself in public.
Yet by the mid-30s, George V is dying, and it becomes obvious that the older brother is unqualified to be king.
Indeed, the stakes are now high: George V observes that Adolf Hitler seeks to control one half of Europe, and Josef Stalin seeks to control the other half. So what will England do?
The new medium of radio made it possible for a single leader to communicate across the planet. Hitler was doing it, with his message of hateful propaganda, and so his opponents had to master the radio waves.
Realizing that history would summon him to duty, like it or not, our prince--played with Oscar-grabbing understatement and poignancy by Colin Firth--resolves to improve his speech, seeking out the best speech therapists in London.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I saw this movie yesterday. Its excellent.
I’m dying to see this movie, but our small-town theater hasn’t gotten it yet, if it’s even going to get it at all. I saw somewhere that it’s only in limited release. Hopefully now that Colin Firth has won the Golden Globe, it’ll be shown in more theaters.
Ping
I agree. I thought it was outstanding.
Freepers turned me on to other movies I would have never seen if not for Freeper comments on it. Like, City Island, Sophie Scholl – The Final Days, Life Is Beautiful, and As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me. all of them GREAT! movies that I am so grateful I did not miss.
If I can find the time, I'm going to see it again.
I recommend this movie highly and hope that it wins an Academy Award for best picture. Colin Firth should also win for best actor.
When England was England. Before Socialism completely destoryed it and the Sterling was devalued. Another world power is now poised to suffer the same fate.
I have so far missed all of these movies myself. Self-pinging to make this list available for later.
Can’t wait to see it! In my own personal theater (my bedroom). :)
IIRC, Winston Churchill recounts that he and King George in 1940 would practice shooting Tommy Guns....neither was going to leave Britain if the Germans invaded, and intended to shoot it out and not be taken alive.
The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.-- Leslie Poles Hartley
No it was when Great Britain was truly “great(and mostly Christian too)”, before the “United Kingdom”.
Thanks for the ping. It’s on my list for sure. This is something we’ll both enjoy.
LOL...
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