How come a British historical costume movie, with no American stars – and not even Anthony Hopkins – is so popular? Because it’s such a good film, right? Ummm, maybe. Or maybe because U.S. audiences are having fun making parallels between those wacky royals of yore and those of today. “To be Prince of Wales is not a position, it’s a predicament,” says Rupert Everett as George’s clueless son and heir. Poor Charles couldn’t have said it better today. And Dr. Willis (Ian Holm), who’s been called in after the king has apparently gone bonkers, sagely observes that “the state of monarchy and the state of lunacy share a common frontier.”
Bennett’s script, based on his 1991 play, sees kingship as an ordeal – absolute power is a pathology. George speaks gibberish, defecates in public, refuses to admit the loss of the American colonies, attempts carnalities with his wife’s lady-in-waiting, ordering poor, patient Queen Charlotte (Mirren) to “mind your own business!” when she interferes. Meanwhile, the opposition schemes to have the prince take over. It’s a Keystone Kings spectacle, directed galvanically by Nicholas Hytner (who staged the play) in his film debut. Hawthorne’s poignant George is a ruler who’s lost power over himself. In a key scene he reads from “King Lear” with his retinue, and Shakespeare cures what his quack doctors couldn’t. “We must be a model family for the nation,” he says at the end. Bet this movie doesn’t make it to a royal command performance.
