  |
|
|
|
In The Madness of King George III, Nigel Hawthorne plays England's late 18th century King who famously went a little loopy.
All is well to begin with, but then the King starts acting strangely. He begins talking to himself, develops peculiar habits and assaults an lady-in-waiting (Amanda Donohoe). Having been declared insane - he is subsequently prescribed such contemporary "cures" as skin-blistering, stool examination and, once Dr. Willis (Ian Holm) comes on the scene, brutal restraint. With dad apparently losing his marbles, the Prince Of Wales (Rupert Everett) is soon demanding to be declared Regent. Prime Minister Pitt The Younger (Julian Wadham) tries to put a stop to this. The King is deeply in love with his children and his wife (played by Helen Mirren). His descent into madness and humiliation at the hands of doctors and political enemies is not an easy thing to watch, largely through Hawthorne's excellent performance. Written by Alan Bennett, this 1986-film originally began its life on the stage, with Hawthorne taking on the title role there too. Director Nicholas Hytner handles the transition from stage to screen well. It is a fine comedy that is filled with allegories about the nature of power. The king does recover a little during the film. In real life, he overcame the madness in the decade preceding his death. The final scene shows the king with his royal family, including a very frustrated Prince of Wales. The king has had a sudden recovery. As the royal family goes out to be seen by a cheering crowd, he reminds them to smile and wave. He tells them that the crowd must see that they are happy because "that's what we're here for." Go To Page: 1
The copyright of the article The Madness of King George III in British Cinema is owned by Wyn Middleton. Permission to republish The Madness of King George III in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
