Hopefully, no one is reminded of their own country’s ruler.
What it's about
While King George III exhibits symptoms of an unknown mental ailment, those loyal to him attempt to continue his rule, while his son, the Prince of Wales, rallies the king’s opponents in hopes of seizing the regency.
The take
At first glance, The Madness of King George seemed like a history lesson about King George III. Like plenty of British royalty dramas, the film has all the opulent trappings in its sets and costumes, as well as some of the best actors from the British isles. However, unlike other depictions of the monarchy, the film depicts the king not as a benevolent ruler or oppressive tyrant– instead, King George III is terribly human, with his memory failing, being unsettled by loss, and concern over his health, which involves having to look at his urine. But the historical satire, based on the 1991 stage play, still manages to have the same mockery towards the opportunistic court, while still retaining sympathy for the very nobility it mocks, through original playwright Alan Bennett’s adept writing, as well as the excellent performance of the stacked ensemble cast.
What stands out
The Madness of King George doesn’t depict a clearly defined and diagnosable mental illness, so turning the ailment of a real-life person into a comedy can cause some viewers to be wary. To Bennett’s credit, historians haven’t been able to accurately identify his ailment– even the porphyria diagnosis has been disputed by later scholars– and the comedy pokes fun more on how the court loses their bearings once the king gets sick. The humor thankfully doesn’t demonize mental illness, even when it throws barbs on the British monarchy.
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.
8.1
The Guilty (2018)
A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.
9.0
The Substance (2024)
Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror
8.0
System Crasher (2019)
A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.
9.0
Forgotten Love (2023)
The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama
7.7
His Three Daughters (2024)
Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait
8.9
Hail Satan? (2019)
Forget everything you think you know about the Satanic Temple
8.0
I Lost My Body (2019)
The Oscar-nominated unconventional animation
8.2
Incendies (2011)
Part melodrama, part war thriller, Incendies is gorgeous and heartbreaking from the first scene
9.9
Wind River (2017)
Sicario's screenwriter directs this story of murder in an Indigenous reserve