...I recently went to see the new film The King's Speech. Despite the improbable subject matter, an English king from a bygone era struggling to overcome a speech impediment, the movie appears to have touched the hearts of middle-America. Personally I was very moved by the film and the true story it portrays. It's British filmmaking at its best. And yet notwithstanding my enjoyment of the film, I found Colin Firth's performance as King George VI difficult to watch. Not because it was anything less than very fine acting indeed, but because it reminded me of many childhood days spent sitting across the kitchen table from my father, waiting patiently as he, like his monarch, wrestled with an often paralysing stutter. To have something to say and not be able to say it can only be excruciating, and yet it is something that an estimated 65 million people worldwide have to deal with every day of their lives. It's little consolation to know that kings can suffer as much as commoners, or that some notable orators, including Winston Churchill and movie stars such as Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt have had the same problem. If you stutter, life is different for you. Simple things that the rest of us take for granted, like telling a joke or addressing a group at work, giving a speech at your child's wedding, become potential minefields of embarrassment. No wonder my father had a short fuse. For him daily dialogue was an ordeal... frustration was a way of life. With any other condition...
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...BRITFILMS STUDY GUIDE: THE KING’S SPEECH Great Britain, Australia 2010, 118 min German certification: minimum age 12, recommended for 14 years and over director Tom Hooper script David Seidler (based on the book The King's Speech – How One Man Saved the British Monarchy, by Mark Logue) cinematography Danny Cohen editing Tariq Anwar music Alexandre Desplat featuring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi, Jennifer Ehle and others What THE KING'S SPEECH is about One day the speech therapist Lionel Logue receives an unexpected visitor in his simple consulting rooms in Harley Street: his new patient is no ordinary citizen, but Prince Albert of York, the second son of King George V. Logue’s task is to help him overcome his stutter. But it is only after initial hesitations – and a few outbursts of fury – that the prince agrees to try out the unusual methods of the Australian-born therapist. As soon as Logue, however, begins to seek the cause of the speech problems in private relationships, Albert breaks off the treatment. After the death of George V, however, when Albert’s older brother is unable to assume the office of king because of his relationship with an American divorcée, Albert unexpectedly become the heir to the throne. Now he needs Logue again after all, if he is to live up to what the British citizens expect of their king, and fulfil his duties – including the radio addresses...
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...Special Documents Speech Delivered by King Leopold II to the Missionaries Journeying to the Congo in 1883 (This speech reveals the motives and methods of colonialism. It shows that the relations between the former colonialists and the formerly subjected peoples has not changed in substance but in its sophistication.) ….Revered Fathers and Dear Compatriots; the task asked of you to accomplish is very delicate and demands much tact and diplomacy. Fathers, you are going to preach the Gospel, but your preaching must be inspired by first, the interest of the Belgium government state. The main goal of your mission in the Congo is not to teach the Negro the knowledge of God, because they already know him. They talk and commit themselves to their God. They know that killing, stealing, adultery and blasphemy are not good. Your role essentially will be to easily facilitate the task of the administrative and industrial personnel. That is to say, you will interpret the gospel in a way to protect and serve the interest of Belgium, in that part of the world. To do so you will see that our savages be not interested in the riches that their soil possesses in order that they not want them. Thus, they be not involved in murderous competition with us and dream to live a luxurious life. Your knowledge of the scriptures will help us to use special text that recommended the fidels to love poverty such as, “The Beatitudes”, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom”; “It is hard...
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...Brave Heart and Kings Speech, might be centuries apart but for me are the most historic and state mental movies ever produced. The characters have all done justice to their roles; the storyline is a tremendous piece of art that cannot be replaced by any other movie. Both have their own stands and relate to situations in different times and conditions. The two have many common grounds and share themes that are portrayed in different scenes through different perspectives. The movies mostly revolve around the idea of standing up for oneself and not giving up, whoever the enemy might be. Patriotism is portrayed in Brave Heart when Mel Gibson's character William Wallas refers to the cavilary as "sons of Scotland." They agree to fight against an army almost double in size, armor and men. This battle is won. In Kings Speech the King, is coping with a stammer to deliver a speech which is his first wartime radio broadcast on Britain's declaration of war on Germany. The struggle required to overcome the fear of stammering and of rejection is calmed down by the support of his friends and family. In Brave Heart love is a key theme, the movie beautifully portrays that intense love can make you go lengths you never wanted to go, change decisions like William decides to fight and rebel once his love, wife is killed for abstaining the soldiers from raping her. He starts a revolt against the most powerful men and dies trying. Love, an emotion that can help you through any stage of life...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. was a man that had a dream of no segregation throughout America. All men black and white are free and have equal rights like he wanted. He wanted the American people to pursue equal rights and we did. He said he wanted to make justice a reality for everyone and we did. Martin Luther King wanted America to be great again he wanted every man to be equal and did not want and segregation. He despised segregation and wanted rid of it. This speech calls for an end to racism in the United States and calls for civil and economic rights. Beginning with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed millions of slaves in 1863, King observes that: "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free".Toward the end of...
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...Video Review Derek Johnson The Kings Speech Topic, what was this about? The Kings Speech takes a completely different view on a typical war movie. With the threat of World War II, and Hitler at the height of his popularity, this movie is focused on King George VI and his “mechanical difficulties of speech.” Not even able to tell his daughters a bed time story, Queen Elizabeth seeks out help from a different type of speech therapist, by the name of Lionel Logue. (Not doctor!) The movie focuses on the bond these two begin to share and the progress that the King is making with his stammer, ultimately ending with the King having to unite Britain with a wartime speech. When did this take place? This film took place right before the start of World War II, and his wartime speech was dated in 1939. Where did this take place? This took place in Britain, mostly in the castle and at Lionel Logues studio. Who are some of the main people? This film mainly focuses on the relationship between King George VI (Bertie) and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue. Bertie’s wife, Queen Elizabeth is also a supportive character. There are scenes with Hitler giving speeches (in which Bertie seems jealous of his speaking abilities), Winston Churchill being in a meeting (claiming he had a stammer as well), and his brother King Edward VII. Why did this event happen? Bertie’s brother, King Edward VIII had to step down due to controversy regarding his relationship with...
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...The Kings Speech Filmen handler om kong George den 5 søn, Duke of Youk også kaldet Bertie, Han er yngste søn af Kong George V. Bertie stammer og har svært ved at tale for store forsamlinger. Det er et stort problem da Radioen er kommet og alle taler til folket bliver bragt live.Bertie prøver at søge hjælp alle steder, men intet hjælper. Hans kone Merthel ( duchess of York) finder Lionel Louge an Australian speech therapist in London. De tager der hen og Bertie er meget skeptisk men går til sidst med til at optage oplæsningen af shakesbears ”to be or not to be”, mens han høre klassisk musik gennem høre telefoner. Han går i vrede og høre ikke optagelsen, han får den med hjem som gave.Senere lytter han til optagelsen og finder ud af at han har læst en tekst op uden at stamme. Dette er begyndelsen på en lang personlig rejse for Bertie. Han vender tilbage til Lionel Louge, de samarbejder intens på at få Bertie til at stoppe med at stamme. Det virker og han lære at tale uden stammen. Berties far kong George V dør i januar 1936 og hans ældste søn Edward over tager tronen. Og udnævnes til kong Edward VIII.Dette er ikke uden problemer, da Kong Edward den VIII, er for elsket i den amerikanske Miss Simpson, som står for at skulle skilles for 2. gang. Det er ikke tilladt i det engelske kongehus at en konge gifter sig med en fraskilt kvinde. Og da heller ikke en kvinde som efter sigende modtager 17 nelliker om dagen fra Hitlers næst kommanderende.Kong Edward VIII, vælger at gå af som konge...
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...but none of those days compared to this one. The way King spoke to the community, the future of our nation, and even the crowd itself was something unbelievable. The sun beats down on 250,000 men, women, and children who are all here to see the man that, I feel, will change the course of history. The man who will pave the path of equality. Not by violence but with words. Words strong enough to have the same effect as God himself. Martin Luther King Jr. stands in front of the people who have not been given the rights as all man should. King scans the room before speaking with a voice full of sorrow. King rejects the idea to go slow anymore. A man who...
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...Throughout the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the idea that Justice is a Journey prevails as a recurring theme. In both his speeches and the documentary, King demonstrates his desire for a more peaceful world where the use of violence is simply unnecessary. Although many doubted that his stance of nonviolence would be successful, the outcome of his approach was very effective. He states, “I’ve been to the mountaintop and we will get to the promised land,” which shows that this ideal world is a possibility but getting there will be a journey. Through the use of nonviolence and civil disobedience, Dr. King serves as a significant model for a strong social justice character. In each of the marches and planned protests organized by King,...
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...Martin Luther King, Jr wrote a one of time’s most memorable, yet powerful speech that touched American citizens all around the world and helped open their eyes to what could be a “perfect world.” He delivered the speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where nearly a quarter of a million people gathered around to hear him voice his opinion. During this time, he was considered a brave man, for he was black and racism was so harsh on the black community. Knowing this risk, he took a stand for the colored citizens. He became the most predominant leader in the Civil Rights Movements. Many hours of research and preparation went into the making of this speech. Martin Luther King, Jr designed his speech to leave an impact on people that would allow them to remember it. For example King states, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” Carefully choosing his words, he...
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...Letter From Birmingham Jail Vs. “I Have a Dream Speech” The first way that a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “ I have a Dream” differ are in their intended audience, as one is intended for a group of white clergymen while the other is intended to rally a large group. This difference in audience and how Dr. King chooses to appeal to each of his audiences causes for the choices in language and the purpose of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “I have a Dream” to differ. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is addressed to white clergymen, and the purpose of the letter is to defend the demonstrations that were taking place. As Dr. King is trying to defend the demonstrations to these white clergymen, his language choice is quite interesting. One brilliant way that he chooses to defend the demonstrations is by appealing to the white men through his choice of Anglo terms. For instance, in the letter, Dr. King writes, “Just as the prophets of the eighth century century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saint the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns…I am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town” (King). This choice of wording makes Dr. King’s argument stronger since as these white men disagree with Dr. King and his form of peaceful protest, the white clergymen will not be able to argue back because he is using religious references that if the white men chose to argue against, it would make them look like hypocrites (Eubank). While...
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...Do you know who Dr. Martin Luther King is. Well he helped to stop segregations. I am going to tell you about how Dr. Martin Luther King’s child hood influenced his actions as an adult. When Martin was a young boy he experienced these three major events that one day he would hope to change, and he did. His personal experiences with roll models, mentors, and education. His personal experiences affected Martin’s life, when he was six. He knew it was not fair that he could not play with white children. He visited Connecticut when he was fifteen, and so how good the population was since they were not in segregation. Martin knew it was possible to end segregation in the south. Martin role models and mentors taught him to believe in himself,...
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...Martin Luther King Jr. was a very influential speaker during the Civil Rights Movement. Kings “I have a dream speech” impacted the country by speaking volume so people on many different levels. He spoke about the injustice in the country and how white and black people were not treated the same. King spoke in a very authorative tone that did not only African Americans but Caucasian people as well. He was very passionate and persuasive with his words by getting those certain people to consider that injustice was wrong. King appealed to everyone’s logic by using examples from the Constitution and his own experiences. He persuaded people to treat African Americans like they were humans and with respect. He adequately uses pathos in his speech. He impacts the public by using pathos to connect with their personal...
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...Xiao Yu The King’s Speech Writing 2 Professor Cummings Responsibilities of a king are numerous, but above all, a king is there to protect and speak for the people. Although the power a king has is limited in modern time, the king is still the face of the nation and represent the people. The king must address the nation during important events such as the entering of a war. In “The King’s Speech”, Prince Albert, Duke of York, is faced with speech difficulties that prevent him from making a suitable, public figure. Prince Albert, also known as Bertie, visited many speech therapists but had seen little result in improving his “mechanical difficulties” (King’s Speech). Elizabeth, the supportive wife, played by Helena Bonham Carter, sought out an unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue. Lionel, played by Geoffrey Rush, understood the circumstances with treating royalty, but knew it was necessary to step outside the standard edict in order to help Prince Albert conquer his stammer. The opening scene start with Bertie’s first broadcast at the closing season of the Empire Exhibition. With his severe case of stammer, Albert struggles to make only a few orders during his speech; the scene makes it evident to the audience that the Duke of York was incapable of public speaking, none the less make important announcements. Being the caring, worried wife, Elizabeth seeks the aid of Mr. Lionel Logue. After several sessions, Lionel realized that he must be seen as a friend in...
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...Martin Luther king jr. And Nelson Mandela two of the civil rights greatest leaders they both used superb word choice with Mandela using some of the same words King used 30 years earlier they also spoke of peace and freedom for their two country's and for the world. The speaker, one of the world's most recognizable black leaders, was addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress when he quoted America's top civil rights leader. "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last," Nelson Mandela said to a standing ovation, quoting words delivered in a speech whose 50th anniversary comes next week. Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. never met but they fought for the same cause at the same time on two continents. Mandela said he was prepared to die to see his dream of a society where blacks and whites were equal become reality. King was assassinated in 1968 while working for that same dream. Mandela spent 27 years in prison during white racist rule in South Africa. Released in 1990, he went on to become president and shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with the white South African president, F.W. de Klerk. King won his Nobel Peace Prize nearly 30 years earlier. Mandela traveled to the United States after he was released and he spoke at Yankee Stadium, telling the crowd that an unbreakable umbilical cord connected black South Africans and black Americans. There was a kinship between the two, Mandela wrote in his autobiography, inspired by such great Americans...
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