LoginI remember it quite well, when it was released, there was a pretty good buzz about this movie which was the main reason why I eventually checked it out. Basically, it was a pretty good mix between a comedy and a historical periode drama. Obviously, this movie would be mostly remembered for the great performance delivered by the late Nigel Hawthorne. Eventually, the guy would receive a well deserved Academy Award nomination for his fine work. Back then, Hawthorne was above all famous for his theater career and event though he had apparently a productive TV career, it was only with this movie that he finally managed to have his breakthrough with the mainstream audience. Coming back to our main feature, even though it was well made and fairly entertaining, it was still missing something to become truly amazing. I don’t know, maybe, it had to do with the fact that, even though it was an intriguing story, it was all rather predictable and I'm not sure I really cared about the characters and what they were going through. To conclude, even though I don't think it is really a masterpiece, it was still a really solid periode piece and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
The Madness of King George Reviews
A good movie
Posted : 8 years, 6 months ago on 28 September 2015 05:21
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Intriguing and Smart
Posted : 16 years, 2 months ago on 22 February 2008 08:51
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 valid point. All the second layer characters were given interesting and multi layered points of view. The buffoonish doctors even were handled with a touch of sympathy, doing the best they could with the knowledge at hand. And George himself was so complicated you never were sure you liked him. But even if you didn't like him, you felt sorry for the horrendous things he suffered. Excellent movie, should be watched by all.
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The Madness
Posted : 16 years, 7 months ago on 30 August 2007 01:27
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 amazing scene where the doctor and his assistants strap the king to the chair really gets to your gut, and you’re rooting for the king to get better and retain his throne. Nigel Hawthorne who plays King George thoroughly deserves the plaudits he got for his performance and it’s a shame he didn’t win the Oscar. That went to Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump.
And as a sidetrack, in the 1970s two psychiatrists looked through the king's medical records and noticed a telling symptom: dark red urine, a classic sign of Porphyria – a rare blood disorder that in acute form causes severe abdominal pain, cramps and seizures. Other investigations have confirmed the diagnosis and have added poisoning by arsenic which causes mental derangement. The king was exposed to acute levels of arsenic which at the time were common ingredients in skin cream, wig powder, and in the king’s medical treatments.
And as a sidetrack, in the 1970s two psychiatrists looked through the king's medical records and noticed a telling symptom: dark red urine, a classic sign of Porphyria – a rare blood disorder that in acute form causes severe abdominal pain, cramps and seizures. Other investigations have confirmed the diagnosis and have added poisoning by arsenic which causes mental derangement. The king was exposed to acute levels of arsenic which at the time were common ingredients in skin cream, wig powder, and in the king’s medical treatments.
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