Film Form of The King's Speech

We as a class recently watched the Kings Speech, and by the end of the movie we as a class were asked to pick a scene and blog about it.

The final speech in The King's Speech (2010) begins with a close up of Colin Firth, playing King George VI (Bertie), from the shoulders to the top of his head. The colors in the shot are cool, consisting mostly of blue tones, setting the scene in a somber mood. His gaze looks upward as the shot cuts to a medium shot of a man shutting the door, closing him off from the world, hiding him in his safe zone so he can speak comfortably to that world. This event was significant to the world because it was the speech marking Britain’s entrance into World War II.

The tight shot composition hints that this man is unable to hide from his fears and is being forced into his role as king; however, he is accepting this role with the help of his friend, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). His suit coat is off and he is dressed comfortably because he is in an informal setting. As the door shuts, the shot cuts back to Bertie and more light is shut out of the room. The shot cuts to a medium shot of Logue, as he turns toward Bertie; he doesn’t speak but his importance is clear because the scene is obstructed by an extreme close up of the microphone on the right half of the image.

The scene ends as it began, with the queen sitting proudly in her chair listening to her husband. Listeners of the king’s speech begin to applaud his effort, giving him a standing ovation. An establishing shot shows the radio room where Bertie delivered his speech, and it is transformed back into being a formal location. He puts his coat on and the scene ends with the microphone no longer constricting the framing of the image. The framing of the camera and the length of each clip greatly affect the meaning of the scene as it transitions from tense and stressful to a magnificent achievement for the king.