The Madness of King George
A meditation on power, and the metaphor of the body of state, based on the real episode of dementia experienced by George III (now suspected a victim of porphyria, a blood disorder). As he loses his senses, he becomes both more alive, and more politically marginalized, neither effect desirable to his Lieutenants, who jimmy the rules to avoid a challenge to regal authority, raising the question of who is really in charge.
5 April 1929, Coventry, Warwickshire, England, UK
February 23, 1977 in Liverpool, England, UK
18 March 1945, New Forest, Hampshire, England, UK
1962
29 June 1962, London, England, UK
12 September 1931, Goodmayes, Essex, England, UK
21 March 1936, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, UK
9 May 1934, Armley, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK
August 17, 2016
Visually sumptuous, energetic and classy, The Madness of King George is British film theatre at its most seductive.
August 12, 2005
Vastly entertaining, with more bite than you expect from a costume drama.
April 12, 2002
Hawthorne is by turn outrageous and pathetic and imperious and poignant and very funny.
May 23, 2004
So slick, so clever and so incredibly lucid that it neither leads to much in the way of thought, discussion or, unfortunately, repeat viewing.
January 01, 2000
For those who, like myself, were disappointed in the play, the film contains pleasant surprises, all of them resulting from differences between the two arts.
June 18, 2002
In its own shambling, elliptical way it's an entertaining, memorable movie whose 2 1/2 hours go by without strain.
January 01, 2000
The battle of wills between these two strong men [George and Willis] is the centerpiece of the movie, and hugely entertaining.
May 12, 2001
The thrill of Hawthorne's astounding performance is not something you want to miss.
February 12, 2006
It's Hawthorne's engaging performance that makes this drama both fun and moving.
July 10, 2003
Respectable actors aside, it's no more than a dryasdust history lesson.
August 22, 2006
Hytner's version of Bennett's comic-tragic drama of the tormented king who almost lost his mind confirms that power games, family scandals, and personal intrigues have always been integral to the British Crown, an institution both revered and reviled.
September 21, 2004
Flawless acting. Hawthorne was robbed of an Oscar. Sorry, but it's true.
