The Madness of King George (1994)

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago at Feb 22 14:51

The story of King George's bout with madness is interesting and could easily have been done badly. But the script keeps a healthy distance and gives the viewer flashes of depth. The ending seemed a bit contrived as the King is coincidentally cured the day his son goes to take regency. But apart from a few boring plot devices I think they did a nice job of not going over the top in acting. It would have been terribly easy to make George zanier, or the Prince of Wales more despicable or cartoonish. But they seemed to give all the characters a viewpoint where we could understand why the did what they did. The Prince begged to be given something of worth to do. The touching relationship between George and his wife was done exquisitely. The people plotting intrigues generally had a vali...Read more

Rating : 8/10

Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago at Aug 30 8:27

Excellent costume drama set in 1788 that tells the story of King George III during his periods of ‘insanity’. The king’s courtiers and loyal Prime Minister William Pitt – beautifully played by Julian Wydam, do their best to disguise the loveable king's ‘madness’ from his enemies – one of them the king’s own son, a very unpleasant Prince of Wales – played with relish by Rupert Everett who’s hungry to seize the throne. There are so many layers to this tale, the desperate and poignant relationship between the king and his queen (Helen Mirren), the savage intrigues at the royal court and parliament, and the snotty references to the ‘New World’. But the best bits by far are the king’s bizarre behaviour and his battle of wills with the good doctor (Ian Holm). The amazin...Read more

Rating : 10/10