Last Friday, I attended Rose’s screening of the Academy Award winning movie The King’s Speech. Despite its accolades, in all honesty, the synopsis for the film sounded like a bore to me and thus I was never inclined to view it. However, I can now say that I was wrong. The movie was enthralling, the actors were tremendous, and the narrative was beautifully portrayed.

The film tells the true story of British King George VI (played by Colin Firth) who, fearful of public speaking due to a stammer, sought the coaching of speech therapist Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush. It made me realize that I have taken the power of speech for granted, which is surprising, considering it makes up a vast portion of our everyday lives. Speech strikes the heart and can drive people to righteous behavior or, on the other end of the spectrum, immoral actions. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches moved Americans to fight racism, while Adolf Hitler’s speeches pushed many to embrace Anti-Semitism and inflict harm upon their neighbors. King George VI’s anxiety probably stemmed from his recognition of speech’s potency, and thus he wanted to make speeches where the words rather than the seemingly weak man behind those words would be focused on.

However, I think that George VI’s disability actually made him that much stronger of a leader. During his reign, the Nazis bombed and battled the UK, striking fear into the hearts of women, children, and men alike. Therefore, I feel that George VI’s attempts to fight his own disability functioned as a sign of hope and strength for British citizens – just as George VI was fighting his own impairment to show strength for his people, he would also fight off the Nazis to protect his people. Therefore, the man behind the words was actually just as important as the words, standing as a symbol for endurance, toughness, fortitude, and courage in the face of adversity – exactly what the terrified British citizens needed in a time of turmoil.