Triumph Over Adversity

This is a reaction for the movie "A King's Speech". Its such an inspiring film! I wrote this during our English Week in line with the theme English as Self-Discovery.

Reaction Paper: A King’s Speech

Triumph Over Adversity

            A King’s Speech is a story of a leader who has problems with proper communication skills. It showed his triumph over adversities.  In line with theme English as Self-Discovery, this was a brilliant choice.

            The move had a predictable plot. It did not matter though, because there was a wonderful screenplay and the production was stunning. It also revolved around a variety of themes. The movie was based on a true story. I was shocked when I found that out for I have never heard of a king who stammers. I imagined that it must be painful to be mocked at just because the words won’t come out properly.

            The characters were too good. It was my first time to watch Colin Firth act and I was awed by his performance. He even won the Best Actor for his role. His portrayal for King George VI’s stammer was sublime and it looked real. For the other characters, I had already set my high expectations. I’m a fan of Geoffrey Rush because of his role in The Pirates of the Caribbean. Watching him in this movie, my respect for him as an actor intensified. It was completely different and he made an excellent Logue. The same goes for Helena Bonham Carter. I have always loved her as Bellatrix in Harry Potter and the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. She really had a vital part in the movie. Guy Pearce surprised me, it’s like it’s been ages since I saw him in The Count of Monte Cristo. He still had that charisma as an antagonist. Michael Gambon’s role was way different from Albus Dumbledore. I was blown away when I realized it was him.

            The film wasn’t entirely historically accurate. Although there was a real Lionel Logue and King George VI, there were anachronisms with his daughters. I researched about it and it said that Princess Elizabeth should have been a six month old baby and Princess Margaret was not supposed to born yet.

            I do love that they did their best to demonstrate the therapy sessions. It was revealed that the film makers talked to the real Lionel Logue and read his notes. Of course, there were some alterations.

            They couldn’t have picked a more suited place for the Logue’s house for therapy sessions. Not only was it suited for the scenes, it was also a location to determine the era and the country. They did a wonderful job transforming a place into old London.

            I admire the friendship of Logue and Bertie (also known as King George VI). The King was able to win against his fear and self-doubt. More than that, it was inspiring to see the Duke improve because of his therapist. It was very moving. I can relate to the Duke because when I was in elementary I knew that my English communication skills were poor. Thanks to my three high school English teachers, I have improved since then. Like the King, I wish to continue the progress.

            Overall, I love the movie! It had this different feel and touch. The film-makers did an awesome work with the visuals. The sequence was also good and they were able to show character-development. Most people might find it boring, I’m not one of them. It had a genuine story and like what one critique said, “You’ll be lost for words.” 

:)