The King's Speech

As this movie captured the Oscar for Best Picture last night, I thought about why it resonated with me so much. I am hardly a lone voice on this one. Nearly all the critics adored this movie, and its victory did not come as a surprise last night. Many movies over the years have ridden a great wave of hype through the award season, only to be relegated to the "good movies" file. But I think this is a special movie. I am only one man, but here's why I think it is special.

If there is one thing that most folks would agree upon, it is the fact that royalty (throughout history) have led very insular lives. The lives they live are immensely privileged. This level of privilege is often met with great disdain and even hatred from the masses. Those of royal blood have sometimes not helped their own cause. Marie Antoinette famously showed her insensitivity by expressing that the poor should eat cake since they had no bread to eat. In this movie, the drama of the movie is seen in the fact that the person of royalty seems so much like one of the rest of us. He hates this position in which he finds himself. He resents the enormous responsibility that he now has. In this man of wealth we see ourselves. We think of our own struggles to overcome basic obstacles that we face every day. Here, the filmmakers have given all of us an extraordinary gift by stripping this royal figure of his regal attire and leaving us with one man's naked soul.

Colin Firth is great, as always. The relationship between him and his therapist is a classic dichotomy of British manner and Greek phileo. These two men love and respect each other, but they would never put it that way. The other touching portrayal is how the king is seen with his family. Here, all of the kingship is put aside, and we see a man who is both a loving husband and gentle father. As the king begins to face his own struggle with his speech, he shows utter determination. He knows that his country is going to war, and he knows that his country needs him to speak to them. He meets the challenge.

The depiction of the speech itself is nothing short of brilliant. The director chooses the ominous second movement of Beethoven's 7th symphony as a musical backdrop for the speech. Beethoven's 7th symphony is a brilliant choice. This symphony is a great work, but it is made more dramatic by the fact that it was the first symphony Beethoven completed as his hearing loss really took over. Both figures in this moment of cinema (King George VI and Beethoven) are struggling with a tremendous physical affliction. Their works both show struggle and work in their achievement. And both figures rose above their weaknesses to do something tremendous.

It is an astounding achievement to bring such gravity and humanity to humans whose lives seem so inhuman. The life of the person in this film is an inspiration.