The Madness of King George

From AwardAnnals

Reviews

Amazon.com

Nicholas Hytner had an international stage phenomenon with Alan Bennett’s play The Madness of King George, starring Nigel Hawthorne as King George III, the British monarch who lost the American colonies. But in this film adaptation, Hytner unfortunately yields to the old temptation to “open up” the piece with lots of arbitrary exteriors, rushed set pieces, choppy editing, and so on, robbing Hawthorne’s acclaimed stage performance of coherency and power on the big screen. Viewers are forced to fill in emotional gaps for themselves (and try to imagine what Bennett’s work must have looked and felt like originally), and the whole enterprise has a pseudo-cinematic, self-congratulatory air. —Tom Keogh

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More wit than wisdom? More style than substance? Both these charges have been levelled at The Madness of King George, but neither are entirely fair. It could be that the notional subject matter—the psychological collapse of George III, later attributed to the neurological disease porphyria—implies a profound, analytical approach of the kind associated with Oliver Sachs. However, as the screenplay was written by Alan Bennett, based upon his stage play The Madness of George III, what we have here is a typically shrewd, elegant and poignant depiction of how the world seems when viewed by someone who sees things in their own unique way. And as it is by Bennett, who allows himself a brief, bumbling cameo appearance, the dialogue is of course scalpel-sharp throughout and often extremely moving.

The historical accuracy is strong on detail, but there’s an element of artistic license, such as the depiction of HRH’s apparent partial recovery at the close of the film (although the scene itself, in which Hawthorne’s befuddled monarch rallies himself to address his subjects, is a joy). In the end, though, we really don’t mind. —Roger Thomas

Barnes and Noble

Adapted for the screen from Alan Bennett’s hit London stage production by Bennett himself, The Madness of King George is an ebullient, witty, and surprisingly sympathetic portrait of the insanity of politics and the politics of insanity. Directed with grace and assurance by first-time director Nicholas Hytner, the film manages to strike a balance between scatological irreverence and subdued tenderness in its treatment of its titular subject. Portrayed as both a blundering autocrat and a genuinely disturbed man, George is brought to life by Nigel Hawthorne (who also played him on the stage) in a performance that carries the entire film. He is ably supported by a cast of seasoned performers, most notably Helen Mirren as his long-suffering but loving wife, and Ian Holm as the irascible Dr. Willis, the physician who attempts to treat the king through a variety of unorthodox methods. Hawthorne’s scenes with both Mirren and Holm provide the film with its more memorable and lucid moments, and they layer his character with added dimensions. The affectionate interludes between the king and his wife communicate genuine poignancy, while the battle of wills between the king and Dr. Willis provides the film with its centerpiece. At the end of it all, Hawthorne emerges triumphant, his George III scarred but spirited, willing to fight the good fight until he can fight no more. —Rebecca Flint