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The Madness of King George Movie Review

The Madness of King George is a 1994 British historical comedy drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren and Ian Holm. It’s a tremendous period piece.

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“God rot all royals!

Give us the wisdom of America!“

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When King George III goes mad, his Lieutenants try to adjust the rules to run the country without his participation. Based on a famous stage play and adapted for the big screen faithfully and starring the same main actor in Nigel Hawthorne, this movie ended up being one of the best of its year as well as one of the greatest British films and stage adaptations of all time. I would personally agree with all of these assessments.

What started as a comedy transitioned into a tragedy of its own in the second half. This diversity of tones was the biggest accomplishment of this larger-than-life period piece that never stops affecting the viewer emotionally. Firstly, the humor was terrific. There were so many hilarious lines of dialogue, representing the best that British comedy has to offer. The highlight for me was seeing all the ridiculous medical practices used back in this century.

But in the second half the story began to take a very serious, dramatic tone. Seeing this older man who is losing himself and witnessing how many of his own subordinates were treating him horribly was honestly heartbreaking. The movie did not shy away from portraying all the worst developments on these courts, ranging from envy to betrayal to manipulations on all levels.

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It’s obvious that this was based on a play as the dialogue was just impeccable here. Every single line was not only believable, but also highly accurate for this time period and ranging from humorous to deeply heartfelt. The various comedic exchanges between the characters were hilarious to follow and they made the movie briskly enjoyable.

This was the best role in Nigel Hawthorne’s career. He originated the character back on stage, but here he was mesmerizing as George. Just looking at his face you could see so many different emotions plaguing him. In particular, he excelled at playing the king’s changing moods as he would go from insane to lucid in a matter of seconds. This performance is a master class in acting.

When it comes to the supporting players, Helen Mirren and Ian Holm impressed the most. Mirren was wonderful in the wife role and the dynamic between these two was just beautiful to behold. It’s rare to see a man who is loyal to his wife, especially in this period, so that distinction made their relationship all the more powerful. As for Holm, he is the voice of reason and progressive science, but also a very vocal, strong presence. The dynamic between him and Hawthorne was the most memorable in the entire film.

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If there is one thing to criticize in The Madness of King George it has to be that ending. While undeniably very sweet and moving, it resembled an overly happy, almost fairy tale ending that simply rang false in the context of this particular story. I also wished to have seen more from the other supporting characters. Still though, the directing was very strong as was the beautifully adapted classical music in its score and fantastic production design that was rightfully honored with an Academy Award. The costumes are also stunningly detailed here.