The King Speech - Interview with Sound Mixer John Midgley

I already wrote an entry about it, but this is a very interesting video, especially because he talks about the way he worked for the film. It seems to me that sound mixers always have the same role and problems: fighting unwanted noises and the crew that creates it. It's comforting that it happens to big budget important sound mixers too.

(I wish they had use less of that little music for the interview... it really gets on my nerves).

Taken from here 

SoundWorks Collection: The Sound of "The King's Speech" from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

The King's Speech - Tom Hopper (2010)

I rewatched this one, because I had completely forgotten what I thought about it the firt time. I think I enjoyed it more.

I still think it's an interesting film. Geoffrey Rush is always good. Colin Firth was surprisingly good. I think he does manage to not make a caricature of a stammerer and portray a man who is suffering a lot with his condition. Helena Bonham Carter I think sounds a bit too Lady Tottington which is a bit too much in comparison with Firth's simple performance.

It is very much a film about a man who suffers. It should be a drama.. instead it's a little too sweetened. I blame the music. It's just all over the place, too 'regal', too... much of it. It's like when you have too much of a sweet thing until you can't taste it anymore and makes you sick. It needed more character, more dramaturgy. Possibly it's a fail in the overall sound design, rather than in the composer.

A film about a stammerer it's also perfect for sound. Yet, it's poor in that area. Except for a few moments (when he records his speech and doesn't listen until he gets home). The sound effects were technically very well done... they do help get the stammering effect (especially the first speech scene).

The editing. Some of the cuts bothered me, and that's never a good sign.

The photography is tidy. Correct. A bit too royal-drama-like, maybe? I disliked the use of great angulars, but that's a very personal mania.


So it's entertaining, I enjoyed it, I'd say it's good, but it's got little flaws that are a shame. Though to be fair you see the flaws in the second view, not the first. I engaged with his pain the first time, so that's always a positive thing.

Here's the original speech. He doesn't stammer as much, but let's say it's a cinematographic license to make the story flow better.



The King's Speech