King George VI

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As the entertainment industry evolves and adapts to the 21st century, it still finds subtle ways to remind people of historical events and their importance. An example of this is movies made about events that have happened or ones that follow the life of importance societal figures. A “period piece” is a work of art set in an earlier time period, and they can be in many forms, including motion picture films. The King’s Speech, notably, portrayed the life of King George VI of England (formerly known as Albert, the Duke of York*). Films of this nature sometimes receive criticism that they did not accurately illustrate certain characters or events. The King’s Speech, however, is a mainly* an accurate portrayal of King George VI’s life and the story of how he overcame his speech impediment. The King’s Speech, released in 2010, focuses on George VI’s sudden ascension to the throne after the “Abdication Crisis” involving his brother, David (who later becomes King Edward VIII), in addition to the speech therapist, Lionel Logue, who helped George VI work through a stammer that he had since he was a boy.** Some of the major scenes of the film* include: the conversation between Albert and David about the “Abdication Crisis,” various ones showing the unusual exercises that Mr. Logue puts Albert through to help control his stammer, and Albert’s final speech in the film, in which he addresses the country shortly after Neville Chamberlain declares war on Germany. During the time just before and during George VI’s reign, the United Kingdom* was in the middle of a mass communication revolution. For the first time, people could listen to monarchs broadcast through wireless sets. However, technology at the time was not advanced enough to allow Geo... ... middle of paper ... ...s Anger with Edward over Abdication." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 21 Oct. 2001. Web. 10 June 2014. . Roberts, Andrew. "How the King Found His Voice." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 06 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 June 2014. Matthew, H. C. G. "George VI (1895-1952), King of Great Britain." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004. Web. 11 June 2014. . “Lionel Logue ‘never Swore in Front of King George VI.’” BBC News. BBC, 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 08 June 2014. .

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