The Madness of King George
- 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 | |
| Directed by | Nicholas Hytner |
| Written by | Alan Bennett |
| Produced by | Stephen Evans David Parfitt |
| Starring | Nigel Hawthorne Helen Mirren Ian Holm Amanda Donohoe Rupert Graves and Rupert Everett |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Edited by | Tariq Anwar |
| Music by | George Fenton Georg Friedrich Händel |
| Distributed by | Samuel Goldwyn Company |
Release dates | December 28, 1994 (USA) March 24, 1995 (UK) November 2, 1995 (Australia) |
Running time | 107 min. |
| Language | English |
The Madness of King George is a 1994 film directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his own play The Madness of George III. It tells the true story of George III's deteriorating mental health, and his equally declining relationship with 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.
The film 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.
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.[citation needed]
Title change
In adapting the play to film, the title was changed from The Madness of George III to The Madness of King George. An urban myth has developed that the title change derives from the fear that American audiences would think the film was a sequel, due to the roman numerals. However, director Nicholas Hytner has stated that the principal reason was to clarify that this was a film about a king.[1]
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
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.
It also depicts 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 is restrained in a seat shows the King finally accepting 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.
Mistakes
The film is set in 1788, but when 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.
Awards and nominations
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.
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).
Cannes Film Festival
- Helen Mirren won the Best Actress Award and Nicholas Hytner was nominated for the Golden Palm.
External links
- The Madness of King George at IMDb
- Mikkelson, Barbara & David P. "The Madness of King George" at Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages.
