One of the many great things about Tom Hooper's The King's Speech is that, even though the entire film is taking place in a time when people spoke in clipped accents and wore elaborate hats and barely understood how to use the radio, it all feels entirely modern and accessible. You frequently see glimpses of Elizabeth, daughter of main character King George VI who is Queen right now, and come to see George VI not as some figurehead of the past, but as a real person coping with the kinds of problems all familiar to us mere mortals.
The climax of the film happens when George, who struggled with a debilitating stutter his entire life, gives a radio address to bolster the spirits of the country on the eve of World War II. He rehearses the speech throughout the film with his speech therapist, and the moment he delivers it is unforgettable, as tense and exciting as any action scene while you wait to see if he can get through it without stammering. Colin Firth performs the scene fantastically, but we now know just how much inspiration he got from the King himself. Available on YouTube, through the miracles of modern media, you can listen to the actual King's Speech. Like, right now. Embedded below.
This may not seem as amazing if you haven't seen the film yet, but it's not exactly a spoiler-- the movie's called The King's Speech, after all-- so feel free to give it a listen anyway. I find this amazing not only because it's cool to hear how similar Firth's performance is to the real thing, but that that's the actual King's voice, coming from the past and suddenly seeming not so far away at all. It's the same modernizing effect as the movie The King's Speech, captured within a single YouTube clip. Awesome. Take a listen below.
