The Madness of King George
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- This article is about the 1994 film. For the play by Alan Bennett, see The Madness of George III (play) and for a 2004 political satire, see The Madness of King George (book)
| The Madness of King George | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster |
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| Directed by | Nicholas Hytner |
| Produced by | Stephen Evans David Parfitt |
| Written by | Alan Bennett |
| Starring | Nigel Hawthorne Helen Mirren Ian Holm |
| Music by | George Fenton Georg Friedrich Händel |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Editing by | Tariq Anwar |
| Distributed by | Samuel Goldwyn Company |
| Release date(s) | December 28, 1994 (USA) |
| Running time | 107 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Madness of King George is a 1994 film. It was directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his play The Madness of George III.
It stars Nigel Hawthorne as George III, Helen Mirren as Queen Charlotte, Ian Holm as Dr. Willis, Rupert Graves as Greville, Amanda Donohoe as Lady Pembroke, Rupert Everett as the Prince of Wales, Julian Rhind-Tutt as the Duke of York, Julian Wadham as George III's Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, and Jim Carter as Whig MP and leader of the opposition Charles James Fox.
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[edit] Background and production
Alan Bennett refused to sanction a film version unless Nigel Hawthorne was given first refusal for the title role after having a highly acclaimed performance in the theatre.
[edit] Title change
An urban legend circulates to this day that the Roman numerals were removed from the title of the film because U.S. test audiences misinterpreted them to mean it was a sequel. The Madness of King George at the Urban Legends Reference Pages suggests that this is not entirely true.
The film was based on the play The Madness of George III. In Britain, it can be assumed that most people would realise this refers to King George the Third, but this might not be so clear in other countries. The title change was suggested by Hawthorne himself during a photoshoot at Arundel Castle for the film's poster. The concept was George III sitting on his throne with a sceptre in one hand and a piglet in the other. Sir Nigel was told this was to symbolise both his regality and his insanity. Upset by this over-literal approach, Hawthorne suggested the change to The Madness of King George.[citation needed] This title was used all over the world, not just in America as has sometimes been claimed.
[edit] Filming locations
The film was shot at Shepperton Studios and on location at:
- Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex
- Bodleian Library, Oxford
- Broughton Castle, Banbury, Oxfordshire
- Eton College, Eton, Berkshire
- Royal Naval College, Greenwich
- St. Paul's Cathedral, London
- Syon House, Brentford, Middlesex
- Thame Park, Oxfordshire
- Wilton House, Wilton, Wiltshire
[edit] Plot
The film tells the story of King George III's deteriorating mental health, and the equally declining relationship between him and his son, the Prince of Wales, particularly focusing on the period around the Regency Crisis of 1788. Modern medicine has suggested that the King's symptoms were the result of porphyria. There is also another theory that the wig powder that was used in the period contained arsenic and could have caused the symptoms and the eventual death.
[edit] Themes
The film deals with the relatively primitive medical practices of the time and the suppositions that physicians made in their efforts to understand the human body. The checks and balances of the British parliamentary system are also explored in a similar manner to the way in which Mr. Smith Goes to Washington did for the American system.
However, the over-riding theme in the film is the relative powerlessness of the British monarch in a time when Parliament is supreme. The scene where the King is told what to do by a doctor for the first time (in breach of established protocol) and restrained in a seat is a low point in the film where the king has to finally accept his diminished role despite his protestations that he is the King of England and can do as he pleases. After his recovery, he is seen at the end of the film explaining to the Prince of Wales that the role of the royal family is to be seen to be happy, to wave to the crowd, and to be a model to the people of how to behave and conduct oneself.
[edit] Trivia
The film is set in 1788, but in the scene where the king shows his Prime Minister the former American colonies on a globe and talks about his continuing anger at having lost them, the United States is shown with territory it acquired with the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, and boundaries established by the 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty.
This is the first of three English queens Helen Mirren has played.
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] Academy Awards
- The film won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Nigel Hawthorne), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Helen Mirren) and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
[edit] BAFTA Awards
- The film was nominated for a total of 14 BAFTA Awards and won three: the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film, the Best Actor (Nigel Hawthorne) and the Award for Best Make Up/Hair (Lisa Westcott).
[edit] Cannes Film Festival
- Helen Mirren won the Best Actress Award and Nicholas Hytner was nominated for the Golden Palm.
