Review: “The King’s Speech”

In the April issue, Amelia Brownstein’s ­review of “The King’s Speech” was an ­example of the common misconception that filmmaking involves only directors and actors. Amelia, like most people, forgot to ­acknowledge the screenwriter, film editor, and cinematographer (among many others), who, ­respectively, came up with the plot and all the dialogue; assembled the shots into a coherent piece with appropriate pacing and thematic connections; and created the lighting, angles, and overall look and feel of the film. No movie could be made without these crucial players. The director is far from the only person behind the camera.

Statements like “Director Tom Hooper made good decisions about the timing of the movie and what to emphasize” don’t recognize the input of others. Claiming that “The lengthy scene with the king’s brother was ­another fantastic director’s choice” is especially an affront to screenwriter David Seidler. It was he who wrote this scene and came up with the idea of putting Bertie’s life on screen; it was a labor of love stemming from his own experiences of stuttering as a child. He literally spent decades researching and writing the script, even through his fight with cancer.

Therefore, it is important to recognize and appreciate the efforts and talents of all those involved to bring a wonderful piece of entertainment and art to us all.