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le discours d'un roi


mint

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Looking forward to seeing this in our local cinema.  Especially after all the awards, recognition and so forth..........

Only thing is, is it going to be just subtitles or will they be dubbing it?

Would be difficult to dub, don't you think, as it's about King George VI's stuttering?

Ce ce ce c'est la g g guere à à à H H H Hitler.....and so forth? 

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I saw it a couple of weeks ago and loved it. It was being shown as part of Nime's annual British film festival and was extremely well-attended. It was in English, with French sub-titles. The group was mostly French, most of whom are at varying stages of learning English, and their eyes were as moist as anyone else's at the end. The big French chap next to me, whose English was just at beginner level, explained that he couldn't stop his tears!

It was also on in our local cinema last week, also with subtitles. Our AVF group chose it as the film they attend and discuss over soup etc afterwards; it was a big hit with them too.

Subtitles didn't seem to affect anyone's enjoyment of the film at all, and murmurs at various points showed that things had been understood.

I too read that there's a campaign to stop the film achieving Oscars by sending messages to influential people pointing to the King as a N**i sympathiser and not being receptive to Jews being helped in the war. I haven't a clue whether hthat's true or not - but I know my family, who lived near the docks in their town, very much appreciated the fact that he and his family stayed to brave bombings in the war. I always thought film awards were bestowed on merit!

 

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It was Edward the 8th, thats the one that abdicated because of "that ghastly American woman" and who was the sympathiser but as the story is not about him (although for obvious reasons the character is in the film but not that much) I can't see the point of trying to stop the film from getting any Oscar. Mind you it's odds on to win by all the bookies and the BAFTA's do have an effect on the Oscars, or so they say.
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My guess is that it is all about the bottom line - the Oscar for Best Film means megabucks for its maker and distributor. There is a large Jewish membership of the Academy and if they could be influenced not to vote for The King's Speech then less-favoured films would be in with a chance.

Constitutionally, of course, the monarch has no (public) view of any matter that is not that of the government at the time. Chamberlain was an appeaser, after all, and the government view had been that there were too many refugees entering the British Mandate of Palestine. David and his appalling wife were certainly sympathetic to Hitler, but I'm not sure that there is any evidence that Bertie was. As things turned out, Britain was saved from Edward VIII, and by overcoming his shyness, fear and stammer, and by staying in London during the war, George VI showed himself to be honourable and courageous.

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Although George the VI and his wife visited America in 1939 just after the abdication the Duke and Duchess visited America (Miami) in December 1940 and again in May 1942 (state visit) because Churchill made him governor of the Bahamas during the war and special envoy to America to keep him out of the UK. I don't know if that was because Churchill didn't like him or that he just wanted to keep him safe. He was very popular in America at the time apparently. During the abdication process the Americans knew more about what was going on than those in the UK.
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Churchill was actually supportive of Edward VIII and suggested a morganatic marriage (where Wallis would not be queen) - I haven't yet seen the film, but I understand that it incorrectly represents Churchill's opinions.

There was a total embargo in the British press about the matter, and I think the people only got to know what was happening because the Bishop of Bradford decided to preach a sermon condemning Edward's behaviour - thus breaking the embargo. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, had moral reservations and did not feel that he could conduct a coronation service for Edward.

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[quote user="Clarkkent"]

Chamberlain was an appeaser[/quote]

It always bring a smile when I read Chamberlains name as it always reminds me of Spike Milligans description of him in his war trilogy of seven books!

'A man doing Prime Minister impressions'.

Paul

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In my French class this morning, we read an article (I suspect from Paris Match) about the film, in so far as it was talking about George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and the abdication etc, and I had great difficulty in bearing with the rubbish expounded about the royal family, their marriage etc.  I am positive that several of the facts were wrong, and whilst I am quite prepared to believe that some facts were kept from the UK public at the time, there have been sufficient biographies since for the knowledge of anything odd to come out, so  it felt like a farrago of nonsense, and spoilt what would have otherwise been an interesting article.

Such things as George VI was sympathetic to thte Nazis, that during the Blitz the Royal familit kept to their life of luxury (wrong - it was well known that George VI painted lines around the baths to make sure they were not overfilled), and doubting the paternity of the two daughters.  Also that Edward VIII rejected Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon because she was too fat and rounded, and that he preferred thin, androgynous women (I thought he liked almost any woman!!!),  so she never forgave him or Wallis etc etc.

There was no critique of the film in the article, but I'm hoping to get it on dvd eventually and enjoy watching then.  I do hope politics doesn't enter into the oscars, as it obviously did into the article from Paris Match.

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Anyway, I am glad it's subtitles and not dubbed.  Hate the dubbed stuff.  Would learn a great deal more French if they'd just use subtitles all the time.

They use subtitles when it's opera on the TV and I am often surprised at how things are translated.

Mind you, they do insist on calling Mozart ,Mozar but they do call Beethoven, Beethoven (as in English).  Hitchcock, however, is Eeshcock....

Oh, well, it's quite fun when you guess rightly whom they are talking about![:D] 

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Would be an interesting world today had the proper king of England remained, if he was a n.a.z.i supporter. Probably WW2 wouldn't have broken out (at least not in the same way).

Anyone read Fatherland about an alternate reality where Hitler did win the war? Was made into a movie of the same name with the delicious Miranda Richardson in it too.
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[quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]Would be an interesting world today had the proper (sic) king of England remained, if he was a n.a.z.i supporter. Probably WW2 wouldn't have broken out (at least not in the same way). Anyone read Fatherland about an alternate reality where Hitler did win the war? Was made into a movie of the same name with the delicious Miranda Richardson in it too.[/quote]

Nothing would have changed, the monarch is only a figurehead with no power, the same politicians would have made the same decisions. What Edward VIII thought (I doubt he had an idea in his head that the odious Wallis had not put there) or supported would have been of no consequence - the government would have silenced him and events would have followed the same course. He had no children (there are stories that he had a very small penis) and Elizabeth would have eventually succeeded him since Bertie would die before him.

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The King's Speech ?   Loved this film. Saw it in VO (with French subtitles) at a Cinema in Caen.  It is atmospheric and a perfect piece "of its time", the acting is superb and the story based on truth.  It was particularly interesting to see just how like Helena Bonham-Carter is to a young Queen Mother and, apparently, the Queen found her portrayal very moving. It's fair to say perhaps H. B-C  had a head start since she is a relative. The film - judging by all the nominations and awards is now set to follow some of the biggest box office successes such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  It was interesting to hear the self-effacing writer of the screenplay say how surprised he was at the impact his "little story about 2 men in a room" has had around the world.  In our cinema (filled with French) it was clearly much appreciated and there was a lot of drying of tears at the end of the film !   Can really recommend it  - but only if you're not generally more attracted to very loud music competing with muffled dialogue, special effects, clattering surround sound and plenty of blood and guts. 
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Do please tell what you thought about it, Sweet 17.   I read on another forum recently a post from "some bloke" that he knew 4 people who had seen it and 3 of them fell asleep.  Nice, eh? Sometimes I think that people just  have to knock something because everyone else seems to have nothing but praise for it.  The sort of uber cool behaviour that teenagers attempt when showing off in front of their mates.  So....hope that you did enjoy it and won't be applying to me for your €€€'s back [I]   I'm shortly to attempt "True Grit", but feel that I may have to spend most of the film in the cafe or hiding behind a seat!!!

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[quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]Anyone read Fatherland about an alternate reality where Hitler did win the war? Was made into a movie of the same name with the delicious Miranda Richardson in it too.[/quote]

I think so... It must have been about 15 years ago?  I had a the paperback bright red with a black swastica on the cover I think... took it on holiday to Ibiza and had a few raised eyebrows around the pool :)  If it is the same one it was a great read... didn't know there was a film.

p.s. going to see the film on Sunday and very much looking forward to it.  [:$]

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