Opening Analysis- 'The King's Speech'

The opening 3 minutes of ‘The King’s Speech’ is crucial in both setting the backdrop for the rest of the film and introducing us to the characters involved. Mainly the Duke of York (later King George VI).  It also sets up an enigma as to ‘how will he deal with this?’ and ‘what’s going to happen?’ This enigma is helped by close ups which show the nervous expressions on the characters’ faces.

The opening three minutes centres around the duke at Wembley Stadium London preparing for an address to the British public on behalf of his father, King George V, at the closing of the Empire Exhibition in 1925.  To reflect the time period, the characters’ clothing is olden style, with the men in suits and top hats etc.  This smart style of dress also reflects their social status. There are not many props used in the scene apart from a radio microphone on a table in a BBC studio and a piece of paper in the Duke’s hands. The film makers use generally slow cuts, which help to introduce the audience to the locations involved.

Overall, I think the opening to ‘The King’s Speech’ introduces the audience to the film and the characters and locations involved very well and creates an enigma that gives the audience a desire to watch the rest of the film to discover what becomes of the characters. To set the scene, the film makers do not use any music so as to focus the attentions of the audience on the visuals, a fact which I think really increases the impact the opening 3 minutes has on the audience.