Blu-ray Review: The King's Speech (2010)

A film of this quality has compelled me to write a review, yet Joel already adeptly summed up many of my own opinions in his thorough cinema review. The following is newly written, but unavoidably reiterates many of my fellow reviewer's sentiments.

In terms of unheralded success stories, there can be few more heartwarming than that of The King's Speech. A low-budget costume drama about two middle aged men stuck in a room talking (to echo a statement made by Geoffrey Rush), rejected by BBC Films - who normally would jump at this sort of material - and finally endorsed by the now-defunct UK Film Council, The King's Speech became the awards juggernaut that managed to also connect with the public at large. Its main achievement lies in telling the human story in a relatable way. It tells us, via the tried and true medium of an underdog tale, that the royals are as human and fallible as anyone.

Indeed, despite the criticism of historical embellishments that have inevitably been directed the film's way in the wake of its success, the real story seems remarkably dramatic. A prince who was never expecting to be king suddenly thrust into the limelight by the abdication of his divorcee-marrying older brother. A prince who hated public speaking, afflicted by a nervous stammer from childhood. And a prince who would become king as the country was descending into a war against an overwhelmingly better equipped adversary, with no imminent end in sight. Yet the course that screenwriter David Seidler wisely plots through these momentous events singles out the relationship between the Duke of York - later King George VI (Colin Firth, of course) - and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Rush).

The structure has been likened to a boxing movie - several minor bouts followed by the championship at the climax - but it's also akin to, of all things, a romantic comedy. In modern lingo, it's a bromance - the story of a platonic, but nevertheless hugely affectionate, relationship between two contrasting men. There's the initial meet-cute (with Queen Elizabeth - now better known as the late Queen Mother - acting as matchmaker), the blossoming friendship, the second-act break-up, and the moving reunion. On repeat viewing the sense of humour emerges as the real star of the screenplay, every exchange playing with royal convention to understatedly comedic effect, the Australian bluntness of Logue playing off against the none-more-proper "Bertie" (as Lionel insists on calling him, much to his chagrin). Firth took home numerous accolades for his performance - well deserved, the stammer never once coming off as an affectation - but arguably the scene stealer is Rush, who is both hilarious and completely endearing. Helena Bonham Carter, as the companion who acts as George's rock and moral compass, also deserves her share of the acclaim.

When the five nominees for Best Director Oscar were announced this year, Tom Hooper became the target of more vitriol than the rest, mainly because Inception's Christopher Nolan was omitted (a massive oversight, admittedly). But the allegations that this was just a 'point and shoot' film could not be further from the truth. Hooper, fresh from impressive work on HBO's John Adams miniseries and footie biopic The Damned United, repeatedly reinforces his knowledge of cinematic grammar with some intriguing stylistic choices. For instance, King George is repeatedly dwarfed by his surroundings in the frame, be it Wembley Stadium or Logue's dilapidated clinic, emphasising his own self-doubt and insecurities. The editing, meanwhile, is precisely honed, each heated exchange between the mismatched pair building in neat stages to the grand finish. The director's evocation of pre-war London, on a minimal budget, is also exemplary, emphasising atmosphere and texture to great effect.

A true gauge of the scale of the film's accomplishments is that, come the end, you are resolutely engaged in the King's battle against his impediment. The final speech, a magnificent fusion of timing, music, history and performance, builds to a wonderful release of emotion. In truth its stirring impact is slightly dulled on second viewing, but the wit and heart is not dampened one iota. It's impeccable craftmanship - a true crowdpleaser in the very best sense of the word.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Momentum

Presentation
First things first. This UK Blu-ray release from Momentum is in 1080i/50hz format. That means it's not "Full HD" (1080p/24). Why Momentum would choose to do this, I can't fathom - there's a 1080p master that could just as easily have been used, and has been for overseas releases - but, in truth, I can't say that I really seems to affect picture quality. The biggest difference is probably the 5% speedup (as it's 25fps). That's not to say that the visuals are flawless, just that they, I feel, reflect the source. Detail is good if not exceptional, while shadows tend to be afflicted by some blue-tinted digital noise. Colours, though, are well conveyed overall, showing off the director's intended tungsten-hued palette. Not a demo disc then, but generally pleasing enough.

The DTS-HD Master Audio should not face any complaints. A dialogue-heavy film will never present the most active soundfield, but all the speakers come into play very effectively when called upon, such as the very first scene when the then-Duke speaks at Wembley Stadium, the satellite speakers spreading the delayed echo around the room. Otherwise, everything is as crisp and precise as you'd want.

Extras
Tom Hooper's commentary (present in uncompressed LPCM 2.0, funnily enough) is insightful, informative, and, yes, a bit dry but still very interesting. Hooper's recent appearances on TV, such as on Newsnight Review, have shown that he is certainly an intelligent, educated man with vast knowledge of cinema, and that comes across in the track. The accompanying Making Of is only 22 minutes long, while the 17-minute interview with Mark Logue (grandson of Lionel) is engaging, but little more than a talking head interspersed with brief film clips. Two of King George VI's actual speeches are included, the outbreak of war speech that concludes the film (a recording of its radio broadcast) and a later wartime one with Newsreel footage. Finally, there are galleries of production sketches and behind the scenes photos. It's a shame that none of the recent TV programmes prompted by the film made it onto the disc, presumably due to rights issues. I could live without the trailers that you have to skip through when the film loads up.

Given the shortcomings with this disc's interlaced transfer, and relative paucity of extras, I wouldn't be surprised to see a "Royal Edition" or somesuch come along in future. Nevertheless, for a new, very high profile release, the low price point is welcome.



Summary
A majestic showcase of acting, directing and writing, The King's Speech deserves all the plaudits it has received, and maybe more - Geoffrey Rush should have won the Oscar alongside King Colin.