The Madness of King George (1994)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Nicholas Hytner

Writers:

Alan Bennett (play)
Alan Bennett (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 December 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

Tagline:

His Majesty was all powerful and all knowing. But he wasn't quite all there.

Plot:

A meditation on power and the metaphor of the body of state, based on the real episode of dementia experienced...

Plot Keywords:

King George III | England | Porphyria | Medical | Costume Film

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 14 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Nigel Hawthorne	...	George III
Helen Mirren	...	Queen Charlotte
Ian Holm	...	Dr. Willis
Rupert Graves	...	Greville
Amanda Donohoe	...	Lady Pembroke
Rupert Everett	...	Prince of Wales
Julian Rhind-Tutt	...	Duke of York
Julian Wadham	...	Pitt
Jim Carter	...	Fox
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Warren
Charlotte Curley	...	Amelia
Anthony Calf	...	Fitzroy
Matthew Lloyd Davies	...	Papandick
Adrian Scarborough	...	Fortnum
Paul Corrigan	...	Braun

Also Known As:

The Madness of George III (Australia)
The Madness of King George III (Australia)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

In reality, the Prince's illegal "marriage" to Maria Fitzherbert did not end until 1794 - about five years after the film's events. (They later reunited for a time after his disastrous marriage to Caroline of Brunswick.)

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the last scene of the film, at St. Paul's Cathedral the statue of Queen Victoria is clearly visible at the bottom of the grand steps. Queen Victoria did not reign until 1837. George III died in 1820.

Quotes:

Thurlow: [to Dr. Willis] King Lear; do you think that is wise?
Dr. Willis: I did not know what the play was about.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Striking Range (2006)

Soundtrack:

Zadok the Priest

A great fun story full of colourful characters and performances

Already upset by the loss of America to independence, King George III of England's position is made more difficult by the onset of an illness that causes him to act wildly and babble uncontrollably. While the Prime Minister places him in the hands of Dr Willis to keep him in power, The Prince of Wales and the leader of the opposition both plan to replace the king with the prince by way of a parliamentary bill.

Based on the great little play that is historically based, this film went down very well with the awards season since it is very English and well acted. The plot is well written, I'm not sure if it is totally accurate but it is surely based on facts even if it has been coloured for artistic and entertainment reasons. The film embraces both the internal workings of the royal family and the politics of parliament really well; again, it may not be totally true but it is colourful, dissenting and enjoyably. The film is involving but yet still manages to be enjoyable and funny. It is a great story and it is lavishly brought to the big screen in this great production.

The sets and costumes are really good and establish the period and setting of the story very well, but it is the performances that really make it work. Hawthorne is wonderfully cast and delivers a great performance in the lead - both as the cruel monarch or the madman. He is totally believable all the way and never lets his performance become comical or silly even when it is amusing in delivery. Mirren and Donohoe both have less to do but make impacts in their scenes. Everett, Holm, Wadham and Graves support the film to great effect, their performances are colourful, impacting and very enjoyable.

Overall, historical films will quite often be viewed as lifeless, dull and overlong. Here this film goes against all those old clichés and is lively, colourful and enjoyable. The rich sets and costumes add value to some great performances in an engaging story that is very enjoyable.