The Madness of King George

28/12/1994 1h 47m 6.8/10

Overview

Aging King George III of England is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper, his hapless doctors attempt the ineffectual cures of the day. Meanwhile, Queen Charlotte and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger attempt to prevent the king's political enemies, led by the Prince of Wales, from usurping the throne.

Director

Finn McGrath

Top Billed Cast

Helen Mirren

Queen Charlotte

Rupert Graves

Greville

Ian Holm

Willis

Amanda Donohoe

Lady Pembroke

Anthony Calf

Fitzroy

Nigel Hawthorne

George III

Reviews

CinemaSerf

8/26/2023

7/10

A little like Keith Michell in "Henry VIII and his Six Wives"; this was a role Nigel Hawthorne had perfected earlier (he won an Olivier award for the stage play) and so he took to the cinematic version like a duck to water. This telling of his "madness" is superb - ably reflecting the unpredictable and vacillating behaviour of the King in a plausible and engaging manner. Rupert Everett, Helen Mirren and Ian Holm lead a very capable supporting cast and the incorporation of Handel's wonderful, rousing, Georgian themes adds to this sumptuous, if at times a little overly theatrical, production.