The Madness of King George

Starring:Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Rupert Graves, Amanda Donohoe, Rupert Everett, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Julian Wadham, Jim Carter, Geoffrey Palmer, Charlotte Curley, Anthony Calf, Matthew Lloyd Davies, Adrian Scarborough, Paul Corrigan, John Wood, Nick Sampson, Jeremy Child, Nicholas Selby, Barry Stanton
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Nicholas Hytner had an international stage phenomenon with Alan Bennett's play The Madness of King George, starring Nigel Hawthorne as King George III, the British monarch who lost the American colonies. But in this film adaptation, Hytner unfortunately yields to the old temptation to "open up" the piece with lots of arbitrary exteriors, rushed set pieces, choppy editing, and so on, robbing Hawthorne's acclaimed stage performance of coherency and power on the big screen. Viewers are forced to fill in emotional gaps for themselves (and try to imagine what Bennett's work must have looked and felt like originally), and the whole enterprise has a pseudo-cinematic, self-congratulatory air. --Tom Keogh

Description

Written by Alan Bennett from his stage play and featuring a towering performance by Nigel Hawthorne, and a stunning screen directorial debut (Variety) by Tony Award winner* Nicholas Hytner, this Academy AwardÂ(r)-winning** masterpiece of royal intrigue ispotent, engrossing and thrilling (Los Angeles Times). Just five years after losing the 'rebellious colonies, it appears that England's King George III (Hawthorne) is now losing his mind! Suddenly, the stately monarch is hallucinating, shouting obscenities, behaving lewdly towards the Queen's (Helen Mirren) comelylady-in-waiting and generally becoming a candidate for the lunatic asylum. The palace doctors are baffled, but the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett), tired of playing the waiting game, conspires to take advantage of the situation. Will the King's supporters be able to restore their monarch's wits before he's stripped of his throne? *1994: Director (Musical), Carousel **1994: Art Direction

Customer Reviews:

Great Film.......2007-06-08

I haven't had a chance yet to watch my DVD. But I went to the show to see thim movie when it first came out & I've seen it on HBO a couple times. It's just a great film & I've always wanted to buy it.

The Madness of King George

historical fiction.......2007-05-12

This was a beautiful film, but it was difficult to understand. There were no English subtitles to help. I was also skeptical of the historical accuracy.

King George: Family Man, World Leader, Mental Patient.......2007-03-14

As much as I love films set in the past, I didn't warm too much to this fine movie, and I can't quite put my finger on why. Perhaps I was distanced by the subject matter itself, a monarch who spent substantial portions of the latter half of his long reign in the throes of insanity. George III, ably played by British stage star Nigel Hawthorne, was by no means a bad man, certainly not the tyrant pro-Independence patriots in the American colonies said he was, but the sad fact was that this ethnic German who occupied the British throne was indeed subject to periods of both intense melancholia (in modern language, clinical depression) and even outbursts of full and total insanity. This film, set right after the end of the American Revolutionary War, and shortly before an even bloodier revolution flared across the Channel in France, concerns the King's first pronounced lapse into madness. (Later in life the king would spend his final decades sealed off in the back rooms of his palaces, lost to mental illness, his hedonistic son acting as Prince Regent, here played by Rupert Everett and shown as secretly married to a Catholic woman---the mother of all scandals should word of it leak!) The best parts of The Madness of King George are not the disturbing efforts of eighteenth-century physicians to cure their sovereign, but rather the depictions of the constant quibbling between those two Parliamentary rivals, Lords Pitt and Fox. G.F. Handel's music adds a nice flavor to the scenes, and Helen Mirren, truly a magnificent actor, is also expectedly sound here as Queen Charlotte, a woman who stands by her husband with a somehow motherly variety of loyalty. I suppose my complaints with this production are not with its reconstruction of the era, and certainly not with its performances, it is that, as I said, the story of royal madness made it difficult to embrace this as a favorite of mine, and I'm not sure that fairly counts as a valid criticism of such a well-made film.

King George's Condition.......2007-03-08

This is an excellent film detailing a little known to most condition of the last king of England to rule the colonies in America. Although it takes some poetic license concerning events, treatment of the condition and some of its symptoms it is a very good movie. George III is fairly represented as a devoted family man who is generally liked by his subjects. The film is a little light in detailing his many interests and fairly depicting the depth of knowledge that he held in comparison to his predecessors. It also does not show the connection between the disease and some of its triggers such as the stress caused him by his son whom he loved as a son but hated as an air. I would recommend this film though.

Huzza! For Auld Georgie!.......2007-01-18

This is a fine film. During the latter part of his life George III was afflicted by an hereditary desease known today as Poryphia. Nigel Howthorne does a stupendous job bringing the old monarch to life before our eyes. He has the speach patterns and antics down perfectly. Having just read Christopher Hibbert's fine biography of George III, this movie brings the man to life. The supporting cast are also noteworthy. Helen Myrren does a fine job as Queen Charlotte, even getting her slightly German accent down to perfection. It seems she has a knack for portraying British Queens! Of note as well are the portrayals of the rival men of parliament; James Fox and William Pitt (the younger). These fine actors give us a view of parliamentary politics of the day, with the King's illness bringing into question issues of the monarchy which continue to be debated to this day.

By 1788 George III had gott'en over the loss of America which I think is brought to the fore a bit much here, but this is a minor quibble of what is a spendid film. The portrayal of the foppish Prince of Wales and his brother the Duke of York is also worthy of note. The sets and costumes are first rate. The military unifroms are accurate for the time as this was just before the Napoleanic period and the British still looked as they had during the American Revolution.

The use of Handel's music interwoven throughout the film is masterful. The scene of the attempted assassination by the crazed older woman actually occured earlier in the king's life, but its inclusion here provides character for the kind of man the king was. Even with all his faults and illness, George III comes across as more a man of the people than many of the so-called more sophisticated politicians of today. If we could find someone like this man to run our nation today we wouldn't be so bad off. A great film, well worth rerpeated viewings.

Average customer rating:

a fantastic show
I can't believe it, but this isn't that bad
Hasselhoff Pulls It Off
The performance is pretty good; the problem is the vehicle.
Great show, great music, deep on many levels.

Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical
Starring: David Hasselhoff , Coleen Sexton , Andrea Rivette , George Merritt (III) , and Barrie Ingham
Director: Don Roy King
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical (1997 Original Broadway Cast)
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ASIN: B000I2J6YG
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Amazon.com

Baywatch alum David Hasselhoff stars in the dual title roles of Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical, Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse's version of Robert Louis Stevenson's gothic horror classic. The story of the brilliant scientist who uncovers the good and evil aspects of the human heart was a pay-per-view event on the Broadway Television Network, filmed on stage before a live audience. If that audience had seen a lot of Broadway shows, they probably didn't see much they hadn't seen before, but its familiar plot and accessible pop score give Jekyll and Hyde a certain appeal, especially for musical novices.

Notable songs for Coleen Sexton and Andrea Rivette (as good girl Lucy and bad girl Emma, respectively) include "Someone Like You," "Once Upon a Dream," and the duet "In His Eyes." Hasselhoff cuts an imposing figure but is somewhat unsteady in such anthems as "This Is the Moment," which are tailor-made for big voices (for example, Linda Eder, Wildhorn's wife and the creator of the Lucy role). --David Horiuchi

Description

The longest-running show in the history of Broadway's Plymouth Theatre, Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical brings new life to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story of romance and the epic battle between good and evil. A whirlwind odyssey pitting man against himself is set in motion when the brilliant Dr. Jekyll's medical experiment backfires, giving life to his evil alter ego, Edward Hyde. The show won a legion of repeat visitors (dubbed by the press as "Jekkies") and spawned hit songs on the pop charts with "Someone Like You" and "This Is the Moment."

Customer Reviews:

a fantastic show.......2007-06-09

this show was one of the best presentations i have seen of this specific show. when i ordered the movie i was very cautious to how it was made and presented. however, after i watched the movie, i was thrilled on the success of there show. they did great and everyone should see this film.

I can't believe it, but this isn't that bad.......2007-05-01

Well sure Hasselhoff's voice isn't strong enough for some of the songs, but overall this isn't that bad a job. Mr. Hasselhoff does himself proud with this production. Most of the songs are good and the cast is very good. While this isn't the best musical i've ever seen,I did enjoy the show and my wife and I had a very good time watching it.

Hasselhoff Pulls It Off.......2007-04-23

I had to give this version a chance. David Hasselhoff has an incredible singing voice and to give the performance he does in Jekyll and Hyde - The Musical is very impressive. But I admit I was a bit frustrated when I saw him practically pass out during his major schizo song. When that bed came in and he was still walking offstage, you could tell that song took quite a bit out of him.

Colleen Sexton as Lucy Harris. Wow wow wow wow wow! She brought quite a bit to the table, and she was in incredible company with the distinguished performers she shared the stage with including Andrea Rivette as Emma Carew. Sexton's and Rivette's performance of In His Eyes was outstanding. Not better than the original performances that predecessed Hasselhoff, but definitely is a ranking force in it's own. I would rank this second next to the Dream Cast concert of Les Miserables starring Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean.

This is the moment. Buy Jekyll and Hyde and give it a chance. You wont be disappointed.

The performance is pretty good; the problem is the vehicle........2007-03-13

Despite much negative opinion, this performance is in many respects not half-bad. I must confess that a good deal of negative criticism focussed on David Hasselhoff seems a lot more like grudge fulfillment. Still, others have turned in better performances. The question is, performances of what? Aye, there's the rub.

"Jekyll and Hyde" occupies the musical and dramatic world of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Sweeney Todd" - without being anywhere as good as either. Dramatically, although the musical follows a fairly single-minded and coherent line, it seems jumpy and fragmented because of the jumpy and fragmented changes of sets. We might go over the plot at this point - except that here we have classic of English literature which ought to be familiar to every person who gets into high school. If you haven't read Stevenson's tale, go read it and don't expect a Cliff's Notes version of it here.

Musically, "Jekyll and Hyde" is, in a word, boring. The music gropes in vain to achieve melody but in every instance fall short to one degree or another. The notes meander within traditional tonality, but fail to leave a lasting impression. That some of the numbers achieved a fleeting popularity is more a tribute to marketing than to any inherent musicality. No amount of belting or breathless intensity can give these tuneless tunes any more than an underachieved dramatic impact.

It's not an uncommon opinion that the problem with this version of the musical is that it stars David Hasselhoff. This is, to a large extent, a bum rap. I will admit that comparing the sound track here with the CD of the original Broadway production (starring Robert Cuccioli), there's no doubt that the original version is more satisfying. That doesn't mean that Hasselhoff doesn't turn in a solid performance - he does - nor that he doesn't have moments of chewing up the scenery. In fact, in many respects, Hasselhoff is the best thing about the whole production.

The star invests his rýle(s) with sincerity and authenticity. I suspect this gets past some viewers who let themselves get distracted by surfboards and talking cars. This part has been better played and will be better played, but Hasselhoff gives the audience their money's worth nonetheless. He clearly delineates Hyde from Jekyll, although his bag of tricks is rather limited - he sometimes manages a really chilling manic look to Hyde, but not as often as he should. Cuccioli's command of his voice serves him sell in this regard, but Hasselhoff's voice shows little difference between his 2 characters. His singing voice, as it happens, isn't bad. It's certainly up to the singing-in-the-shower sort of voice that we often hear in American musicals.

Hasselhoff's part dominates the musical, so that all the other characters are relatively minor. They are, however, played professionally in all cases, giving Hasselhoff a firm backing. I don't see, however, any one performer to single out as being anything but good-but-not-great.

I have already alluded to the physical presentation of the production. The many sets tend toward darkness rather than brightness. As a continuing factor, this becomes dreary. One wonders why we didn't start with well-lighted sets and gradually move toward darker ones. In addition to the less-than-useful dimness, the frequent set changes make the musical seem fidgety. Fortunately, the musical itself shows a single-minded devotion to its story line and manages - barely - to preserve a sense of unity and linear development.

On the whole, "Jekyll and Hyde" is entertaining on one hand and a bit of a chore to watch on the other. It tries very hard to ingratiate itself, succeeds in part, but in the end fails owing to the grisly nature of its development and ending. Nonetheless, it's a fine effort and worth seeing. Even the flaws are instructive.

Great show, great music, deep on many levels. .......2007-03-13

This is a great performance of a great play, with terrific songs. It has meanings in many levels, and much to stimulate thought about love, duty, addiction, violence and twists of fate, and personal character.

Average customer rating:

More a drama than a comedy
Say hey! What What?
LONG LIVE THE KING!...

The Madness Of King George

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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George III: A Personal History
Mrs. Brown
Amistad
The Buccaneers
Elizabeth I

ASIN: B00092RKL6

Product Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

More a drama than a comedy.......2006-03-28

"The Madness of King George" is far from an excellent movie and a must see but nevertheless it's still both fun and wonderful to watch. The costumes and sets are great and Sir Nigel Hawthorne really carries the movie with his wonderful performance.
The film starts slow - v e r y s l o w - and I almost shut it off. What surprised me after seeing this movie, was that it was more a drama than a comedy. There is nothing in the dialogue that is interesting, or poetic, or transcendent, or makes you think. None of the acting was particularly outstanding; the performances have been vastly overrated. All in all, you can do much worse.

Say hey! What What?.......2005-12-23

I was thrilled when Nigel Hawthorne was nominated for the Best Actor oscar for his performance as George III in this film, not only because this was a stunning performance, but because of his history on the stage (which I was privileged to attend often in London) and with BBC productions. Sir Nigel (as he was then fashioned) was perhaps best known by television audiences as Sir Humphrey Appleby, the scheming civil service mandarin from the Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister series. I have admired him for years (and most recently got to see his great performance of Lear in London).

This film also starred such British acting heavy-weights as Helen Mirren as the queen (think of the Prime Suspect series on the BBC/PBS Mystery, among others), Ian Holm as the physician (most recently noted for his performance of Lear, now available on video), and Rupert Everett as the chomping-at-the-bit Prince of Wales.

The drama was intensified by collapsing or conflating actual historical events (alas, the play and movie would have one think that good king George actually recovered his wits and ruled; the truth is more sad, that he had recurring bouts of delirium and hysteria until finally succumbing to a dementia that lasted for years, and thus the Regency was established).

Poor George has gotten a 'bum rap' in America for being the 'tyrant' against whom the colonials rebelled; history shows, however, that far from the being the evil dictator, he was in fact perhaps the kindest and most enlightened monarch in Europe at the time, well loved by the people, and concerned for government more than his own pleasure. Artistic, well humoured and well mannered, George was perhaps the last monarch in Europe who should have been so tarred by the negative history with which he has been saddled.

This movie gives a little insight into that character of man. Set after the war with the colonies, George begins a slow process of deterioration. Seen here are the inhumane treatments prescribed for such people (I wonder if our modern medicine with machines and contraptions will look similarly barbaric 200 years from now?).

Lavish sets and costumes accentuate the film to give a very royal feel. Political intrigue, disfunctional family dynamics, and social class consciousness all arise in differing measure to make this a truly intricate plot; however, much of the politics and psychology are more for modern audiences than are actual re-creations or representations.

My favourite scene has to be the one in which George is reciting, in the gardens at Kew, a scene from Lear, in which Lear is slipping into madness.

'Lear!? Is this wise?'
'I don't know, I'd never read it!' came the doctor's response.

To see the king slip into sanity so subtly as his performance of Lear presents a slide into insanity is a treasure.

The postscript at the end, a direct criticism of the royal family, in which the king pronounces that their main purpose is to be a model family (and the hint in the closing that the disease of porphyria, George's most-likely ailment, is hereditary) is amusing if not entirely appropriate.

In all, a fabulous film.

LONG LIVE THE KING!..........2005-08-08

This is a marvelous period piece that deals with an intriguing subject: the apparently intermittent madness of King George III. Nigel Hawthorne brilliantly plays the role of the King, creating a benevolent personage, a sort of aristocratic populist, who is, at heart, a family man. Yet, he understands, all too well, his role as King. His Queen, a loving and caring wife, is played to perfection by Helen Mirren. Rupert Everett wonderfully plays the part of their eldest son, the indolent Prince of Wales.
The King begins his strange journey along the highway of dementia by shouting obscenities and behaving in a shockingly unseemly fashion towards his Queen's gorgeous lady-in-waiting, Lady Pembroke, played to ice maiden perfection by the always stunning Amanda Donohoe. He undergoes a total personality change. His doctor is mystified by these mental, as well as physical changes, which are broken up by moments of lucidity.

The Prince of Wales see this weakness in his father as an opportunity for him to make a bid for control of the crown, and he rallies a slew of supporters. The ensuing palace intrigues depict the gamesmanship in which the King's supporters involve themselves in order for the King not to lose his crown in addition to his wits. The only question is whether the King will succeed in recovering his wits in a timely enough fashion in order for them to prevail.

This is a wonderful film with a first class supporting cast. The production values and cinematography are also first rate, and the film won an Oscar in 1994 for its art direction. The film also addresses an issue that did, in fact, arise during the reign of King George III. It is now believed that the King may have suffered from a hereditary illness of the nervous system known as Porphyria. In any case, this is a brilliant, award caliber film that lovers of historical dramas and period pieces will, no doubt, enjoy. Bravo!

Charlie Rose with Bob Shrum & Stuart Stevens; Nadine Strossen & Norma Ramos; Nigel Hawthorne (January 19, 1995)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Bob Shrum & Stuart Stevens; Nadine Strossen & Norma Ramos; Nigel Hawthorne (January 19, 1995)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

Bob Shrum and Stuart Stevens offer their opinions on Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's potential book deal, the controversy it has created, and his leadership. Then, Nadine Strossen and Norma Ramos on the pornography debate, First Amendment rights, and how they affect America. Finally, Nigel Hawthorne talks about his starring role in The Madness of King George.

Charlie Rose with Robert Altman; Nicholas Hytner; Kati Marton (December 22, 1994)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Robert Altman; Nicholas Hytner; Kati Marton (December 22, 1994)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, director Robert Altman talks about his new film about the fashion industry, Ready To Wear. Then, stage-turned-film director Nicholas Hytner discusses his first film, The Madness of King George. Finally, journalist Kati Marton discusses her new book, A Death in Jerusalem, about the assassination by Jewish extremists of the first Arab-Israeli peacemaker.

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, British actress Helen Mirren discusses her role in The Madness of King George. Then, Charlie remembers AIDS activist Elizabeth Glaser, who fought to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic. Finally, New York Daily News columnist Mike McAlary and former New York City police investigator Joe Trimboli talk about their investigation exposing of the city's biggest police scandals, detailed in the book Good Cop, Bad Cop.

Average customer rating:

a fantastic show
I can't believe it, but this isn't that bad
Hasselhoff Pulls It Off
The performance is pretty good; the problem is the vehicle.
Great show, great music, deep on many levels.

Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical
Starring: David Hasselhoff , Coleen Sexton , Andrea Rivette , George Merritt (III) , and Barrie Ingham
Director: Don Roy King
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical (1997 Original Broadway Cast)
Jekyll & Hyde - The Gothic Musical Thriller (1994 Concept Cast)
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Jekyll and Hyde The Musical - Vocal Selections
Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005NKSV
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

a fantastic show.......2007-06-09

I can't believe it, but this isn't that bad.......2007-05-01

Hasselhoff Pulls It Off.......2007-04-23

The performance is pretty good; the problem is the vehicle........2007-03-13

Great show, great music, deep on many levels. .......2007-03-13

Average customer rating:

Great Film
historical fiction
King George: Family Man, World Leader, Mental Patient
King George's Condition
Huzza! For Auld Georgie!

The Madness of King George [Region 2]
Starring: Nigel Hawthorne , Helen Mirren , Ian Holm , Rupert Graves , and Amanda Donohoe
Director: Nicholas Hytner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005952J

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Customer Reviews:

Great Film.......2007-06-08

historical fiction.......2007-05-12

This was a beautiful film, but it was difficult to understand. There were no English subtitles to help. I was also skeptical of the historical accuracy.

King George: Family Man, World Leader, Mental Patient.......2007-03-14

King George's Condition.......2007-03-08

Huzza! For Auld Georgie!.......2007-01-18

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