FILM: THE KING'S SPEECH

I had the privilege of catching THE KING'S SPEECH recently and thought now would be a good time to write a brief summary of my reflections on the film directed by Tom Hooper. Hooper is primarily known for his directorial work in TV having worked on such British favourites as "EastEnders" and
"Elizabeth I" miniseries. He shoots royalty well. The cast comprises of a veritable assortment of award-winning actors: Colin Firth as King George VI, Jeffery Rush as his speech therapist, Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen Mother, Guy Pearce as King Edward VIII, and Timothy Spall as Sir Winston Churchill.

The setting is 1930s England just before WWII begins. The aging King George V struggles for his life in the wake of his son, Edward's much-talked-about affair with the married American, Mrs. Wallace Simpson. His struggles are in vain as he soon makes his exit handing over the throne to the Wallace-obsessed Edward whose callousness brings further insecurity to an already insecure country under the threat of war. Well, we all know the history from here. Having refused to leave a soon-to-be divorced Wallace Simpson and having expressed his intentions of marrying her - it's an absolute no-no among royalty to marry a divorced woman or man - Edward is forced to abdicate his throne. Guess who has to fill his shoes as King of England? His youngest brother, "Bertie", who has had a hell of a time speaking in public due to a speech impairment. Prior to his taking on the duties of His Highness, Bertie, as he is affectionately called in the family, meets with a speech therapist, Lionel Logue. Like most relationships, theirs starts off a bit rocky with Bertie becoming more and more exasperated by Lionel's odd methods and invasive questionning of the soon-to-be-crowned King's upbringing. Elizabeth, the Queen Mom, does an elegant job at supporting her husband's efforts to overcome the stuttering and actually arranges this meeting with Lionel. She plays her role as wife, mother, and overall backbone very well. Her dogged support and belief in him are admirable given that the marriage between her and Bertie were like many other royal marriages: arranged.

Without disclosing too much of the movie and putting aside my own issues with the British monarchy and the nation as a whole - brutal power-hungry colonizers still trying to maintain their hold over India at the time - I have to say "well done". Colin Firth, Jeffery Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter were simply superb. My appreciation for their talents went up to a level way beyond "wow". Colin Firth delivers an exemplary performance as the stuttering king and makes me feel what we all want to feel when we see movies about the triumph of the human spirit: compassion. Imagine that! I actually felt compassion for the King of England and for two hours could feel something of the humiliation he must have endured with such an impediment.

Well, actually, I totally understand what it must have been like since I too have been wrestling with a speech impairment for the last two years and have also had to speak in public with it. Had I found a speech therapist so dedicated to his client as Lionel was, I probably would have performed far more effectively as I stubbornly continued to teach and present my monologues to my perplexed students and audiences, respectively. Although I did have the support of friends and well-wishers, I'm sure much of my message slipped through the cracks in my strangled utterances. Some of the methods Lionel uses to assist the King in producing an unbroken tone are also used today to help people with a stutter, Spasmodic Dysphonia and other voice disorders. Singing, deep breathing before speech, moving around while speaking, even shouting all help to release and relax the voice. The point is to get back something that's so essential to communication and our credibility, whether as kings and queens or teachers and performing artists. It's all the same: without our voices, we're as powerless as shredded wheat. Not to say that people who find other ways to communicate like through ASL or voice devices are lacking in communicative ability and credibility. They've obviously ignited the power within and have turned an apparent "flaw" (as viewed by society) into something truly valuable and rewarding.

People who stutter don't always remember when the stuttering started, but it developed most likely when they were children. Also, stuttering is usually brought on by some other form of physical restriction like being forced to write with one's right hand when one is left-handed. Stuttering may also be caused by physical trauma through abuse or deprivation. A lot of time must be given and patience tried in order to face those childhood fears and traumas to give one's voice the chance to heal. Bertie did not wish for Lionel to probe into his family's secrets but realized that the only way to set his voice free was to face the events and experiences that shaped his life during his childhood years.

I suppose that's how I'll be able to set my voice free someday. The day when I take an honest look at the conditions and circumstances that brought on this strangled voice - not just two years ago, but much farther back in time - will be the day when progress towards a clear, unhindered voice begins anew. OR maybe not. Maybe my attitude will change and I will discover a new way of communicating with this broken but unique voice.

If you haven't seen it, watch THE KING'S SPEECH.

Thank you for dropping by today. There are no other limits to human will but the thoughts that reside in our heads.