Friday, February 25, 2011
Image Courtesy : Rippleeffects
The King's Speech is about the Duke of York, Albert, an heir who is 4th in line to the British throne, after his grandfather, father and brother.
Fate however has different plans for him. The Duke, must take the reins of the Monarchy and be coronated as King George VI.
He must restore public faith in the Monarchy - which had been dipping during the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Through show of courage and perseverance, he must lead his countrymen and keep them hopeful, during the World War II.
Only, there is a minor glitch.
The Duke will do everything in his powers to keep away from the throne.
A chronic stutterer and low on self confidence – he will not jeopardise the fate of his countrymen and make them suffer due to his shortcomings.
How the Duke finally finds his voice and earns his rightful place in history, forms the crux of this movie.
Any adjective I use for The King's Speech will fall short of what I experienced last night, while watching it.
Though I am a cinema lover, it is hard to come by movies that make one's heart soar.
The King's Speech had me choked throughout its running time. And this, I say in a good way.
It is hard to live with a physical/mental/speech defect, harder still to be belittled for it. But what is hardest and even daunting, is to be put under a microscope and be judged for your defects. To remain in the public eye and meet the sympathetic glares of your close confidantes and subjects. To live with a constant feeling of having failed in your duties.
The King's Speech offers many such terrifying moments – moments where you feel one with the King, in his humiliation and loneliness, failure and torment.
Though I could grasp what King George VI must have been through, I just couldn't stop marveling at Colin Firth's portrayal of the distressed King. I wonder which recesses of his mind he must have tapped into, to bring to life such a complex character. At one level, I experienced the King's acute sense of terror in front of a huge audience, yet, at another, I was aware of the unfolding of a very uplifting personal story.
While the entire cast comes up with a commendable act, I choose only to talk about Colin. I do hope he gets to portray meatier roles and moves away from his Darcy image.
As a viewer, The King's Speech will treat you to some rare, poignant cinematic moments; they will stay with you long after the King has made his eloquent speech.
Needless addition, still – Go watch it!
*****
Next in line, Black Swan. Will keep you posted.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
The review mostly riveted around the mental frame and its outcome-nice!
@Arpana - Thanks and welcome to the blog :-)
Post a Comment