British actor Colin Firth was named best actor at the Golden Globes last night.
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 ...
Socialism already had a death grip on the neck of what was the British Empire and the war finished the job. Pretty much our story, too.
Best movie I have seen in years.
That's an intriquing bit of history...
Saw this on New Year’s Eve - outstanding. Not the typical Hollywood sanctimonious garbage.
I totally agree!
How true!!
You’re welcome...
Yes. Great movie too.
British actor Colin Firth was named best actor at the Golden Globes last night.
Oh I loved Colin Firth in Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice”. I am quite looking forward to seeing this movie as well! We rarely go to the movies, but this one sounds like it might be worth it!
From the Sublime to the Ridiculous.
It definitely is. The audience applauded at the end.
Yikes!
bump
Yes, I’m a big Anglophile, and numerous Freeper endorsements are certainly a highly respected source of further motivation.
Ultimately, I’m afraid however, that this will be a sad experience; representative of a great, courageous and civilized British culture, that is gone forever.
Yes, there's quite the story there, eh?
Ping
No doubt he never felt comfortable with public speaking, but he was able to handle it, although his delivery was always awkward, as can be heard in his broadcast speech of September 3, 1939, the start of WWII.
If it’s half as good as the last movie I saw about that era, the Made-for-TV “The Gathering Storm”, it should win the Oscar, hands down.
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