Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner The King's Speech

Huh? I guess you don't really know Hitch very well. But you don't seem to need to know much before you go off half cocked.

Heck, I thought the King's wishy-washy attitude toward Nazi Germany, and his disapproval of Churchill, was common knowledge.

yes i caught that too, but it reminded me that in "the art of the piano" there was a segment on dame myra hess playing beethoven for the british troops. and great music SHOULD transcend politics.

Certainly nice 'selective' googling.

He don't google too good.

Do es anyone think, like i do, that acting is ione of the most overrated jobs in the world? i mean, being a good actor is tough, but acting like most hollywood actors or actresses do looks just easy?

If anybody makes anything look easy they're working quite hard (as Mozart once said 'I do my practicing at home).

In response to the original post, pointing out the irony of a German-born composer's music playing at this particular part of an English film:

I suppose they could have put on some Elgar or something similar, but, really...so what?

Knowing what we know about Beethoven's politics, does anyone doubt if Ludwig saw what was happening in Germany in the 1930s, he would have sided with England?

I am far from being a patriot.

That is interesting as Britain has never had a Queen Elizabeth the first.

Anyhoo, I'd rather hear Beethoven's music used in The King's Speech than in A Clockwork Orange.

Indeed, though she was "Queen of France". Well, according to the English of course. It was George III who finally abandoned pretensions to the French throne ... ah, so now I know what argerichfan means with "we know about that one".

King George VI giving the Royal-wave at the end of WWII in 1945 from the balcony of Buckingham Palace ... with him the Queen and a beaming Winston Churchill ... left is Princess Elisabeth (future QEII) and to the right her younger sister Princess Margaret.


PS I’m presently glued to Lord Moran’s book Winston Churchill: The Struggle for Survival (864 pages) ...Physician to the PM from May 1940 ... as he notes in opening

“Winston Churchill is 65. He has just been appointed Prime Minister, and I have become his doctor, not because he wanted one, but because certain members of the Cabinet, who realized how essential he had become, have decided that somebody ought to keep an eye on his health.”

PPS Spike Milligan’s book “Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall” will just have to wait.

I haven't seen "The King's Speech," and probably won't, as it appears from all the buzz to be a pop-historical film of the sort that encourages deficient people to idolize the talentless and unproductive; a phenomenon even worse than idolizing certain celebrities for no reason other than they are celebrities.

Having disqualified myself from commenting further, I nevertheless will: the irony of using Beethoven's music seems fitting, given the irony of the British royal family being German.

Tomasino

Strangely Tomasino some of us won’t want to see the movie The King’s Speech ... watching Hollywood actors hamming their way through part of one’s life’s history will never come close to the touching drama of the real thing ... not to mention the irritation barbs of gross Yankee misconceptions expressed by others ... like this Lulu from Prof. PD

“Heck, I thought the King's wishy-washy attitude toward Nazi Germany,
and his disapproval of Churchill, was common knowledge.”

You wouldn’t believe a word of it, judging by the smile above on Churchill’s face.

PS Might I correct your close

"given the irony of the British royal family being German" ... "being OF aristocratic GERMAN (Greek and Russian) STOCK."

that's too bad; you'll miss a great performance by colin firth.

when one realizes that almost all art is subjective a temporary suspension of disbelief allows a bit of pleasure to seep in.

that or that its actually easy

Wow! Thank you all for responding to my post. So much to digest, whether fact or fiction, theory or opinion, I just wish I had more brain cells to take it all in. History, especially European history, was never my strong suit. I had all I could do to manage a somewhat spotty grasp of American history.

That being said, while a few of you did touch a bit on what (I thought) the film was really about, I would like to expand/expound on that just a little more. IMO, the story was that of one man (just a man, really, nothing more) who, because of horribly traumatic experiences in his childhood by adults who ignored, belittled and abused him, suffered such anguish that he was unable to speak in public without stammering. But with the help of a wonderful teacher, he was able to find that confidence that was buried deep within, overcome his doubts of self-worth and with extraordinary bravery, defeat the effects that caused him such inner pain and turmoil. He rose to the occasion that was thrust upon him and did so (while not exactly happily) with grace and dignity. While the backdrop of this story was one of historic significance, I believe the movie was about the strength of the human spirit. And the actors were unbelievably talented in expressing this tale of man’s struggle to become all that he might be, whatever the odds. (Beethoven's music was indeed a perfect choice in this regard.)

Kathleen

Gotta hand it to you, btb, your logic is almost as cockeyed as your grammar!

Let's see, a benignly smiling Churchill stands on a balcony with an awkwardly waving George in early 1945, after six bloody years of war, and this supposedly tells us what George's views were in 1939 as an anxious Europe began the descent into heck. Yeah, right. Only in your mind is this called logic. But people who have made up their mind just construct "evidence" as a way to feel good.

1945 ≠ 1940

Four kings:
King Edward VII (far right),
his son George, Prince of Wales, later George V (far left),
and grandsons Edward, later Edward VIII (rear),
and Albert, later George VI (foreground), c. 1908.

At least he called you a Lulu! That's got to be worth something.

Maybe if I'm brutal enough in my arguments he'll call me a Wozzeck.

-Jason