It’s a Pride and Prejudice reunion! Not just because actors Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, and David Bamber appeared in the 1995 BBC miniseries and the 2010 Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech, but because both of these films are chiasma.

This is a special Cinematic Chiasmus to me. The King’s Speech speaks to my heart because there are very few films that explore the practical challenges that come from stuttering. And I happen to have an uncomfortable stutter when I’m nervous.

It brings tears to my eyes near the start of the film when a little boy haltingly greets Bertie and his wife at Lionel Logue’s office because I recognize the terrible price he must have paid to reach that point of being able to speak so clearly.

There’s something very special about this movie. And I’d like to share just how extraordinary it is by showing that its portrayal of a speech impediment leads to the most eloquent kind of storytelling: chiasmus.

The Chiasmus

Compared to my last few Cinematic Chiasmus articles, this one is nice and short. And yet its simplicity is rife with beautiful complexity as the story unfolds.

A. Bertie prepares for his speech
 B. Bertie gives a stuttering speech to a crowd
  C. A doctor attempts to cure Bertie’s stutter with marbles and smoking, which don’t work
   D. Bertie’s wife meets Lionel Logue and asks for his help
    E. At family dinner, Lionel tells his wife he has a new client, but he doesn’t mention it’s the future king
     F. Bertie tells a bedtime story to his daughters
      G. Bertie and his wife discuss David’s relationship with a divorced woman, and she introduces Lionel as a doctor, but Bertie instantly opposes being treated by him
       H. Lionel fearlessly auditions for a part, which he fails to get from the actor who played Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice
        I. Bertie meets Lionel, and they wager a shilling that Bertie can speak without stuttering
         J. King George V discusses royal duties, and he yells at Bertie when he stutters
          K. After refusing Lionel’s services, Bertie listens to his flawless recording where he never stutters
           L. Bertie and his wife ask Lionel to help with surface-level mechanics, and Bertie promises to work hard
            M. Bertie steps up and practices techniques with Lionel, but he fails to give a speech free of stuttering
             N. Suffering dementia, King George V legally signs away his authority to lead
              O. David improperly talks to Mrs. Simpson, making him late for dinner
               P. King George V dies, pushing an unwilling David onto the throne
                Q. Lionel recites lines from plays with his sons until Bertie unexpectedly arrives
                 R. Lionel talks about his father’s death, and he encourages Bertie to sing when he can’t talk
                 R. Bertie sings to break through his stutter, and he talks about his brother Johnnie’s death
                Q. Bertie recites lines he learned from Lionel as he and his wife travel unenthusiastically to David’s party
               P. David (now king) throws a party and accuses Bertie of seeking the throne
              O. Bertie uses improper language with Lionel, making him temporarily lose his stutter
             N. Suffering self-doubt, Bertie accuses Lionel of treason when he encourages Bertie to be king
            M. The prime minister says David must step down, and Lionel fails to apologize to Bertie
           L. David refuses to give up his relationship with Mrs. Simpson, and he abdicates his position as king
          K. After refusing to continue with Lionel, Bertie struggles to give his first speech as king
         J. King George VI is overwhelmed by his royal duties, and his wife comforts him about his stutter
        I. Bertie returns to Lionel, and he finally pays Lionel the shilling he owed him
       H. Lionel fearfully hides from his wife, but Bertie introduces himself without incident to Mrs. Logue, played by Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice
      G. Bertie treats Lionel like family, but then he discovers that Lionel isn’t a doctor, and he instantly turns on him before finally relenting and obeying his orders
     F. Bertie watches a recording of his coronation with his daughters
    E. The Logue family listens to the radio announcing a new prime minister
   D. Bertie summons Lionel to help him with his first wartime speech
  C. Bertie goes through all the tricks Lionel has taught him, which work
 B. Bertie gives an eloquent speech to the nation
A. Bertie is congratulated for his successful speech

Such Eloquence

I love that The King’s Speech is filled with contrasts. It begins (at B) with Bertie’s first speech where he has to suffer through long pauses and the inability to get through simple words like “king.” And it ends with Bertie being able to give a long speech free of any stuttering except perhaps on the W’s.

It takes Bertie a long time to pay Lionel his shilling for the wager they made on their first meeting (at I). But it couldn’t be more perfect because it leads to those two scenes exactly mirroring each other. Bertie begins their first conversation by saying, “Waiting for me to commence a conversation, one can wait rather a long wait.” And when Bertie comes back on the flip side to apologize, he begins that conversation by saying, “Waiting for a king to apologize, one can wait rather a long wait.”

Oh, and isn’t it delightful that the two big Pride and Prejudice reunions occur in sync with each other (at H)?

It’s quite telling how Bertie’s father and wife react to his stuttering (at J). Bertie’s wife didn’t want to be in the public spotlight, so she appreciated that Bertie’s stutter could help him and their family stay comfortably hidden. But she’s willing to patiently help him overcome it when duty calls. Meanwhile, we can see where he got the stutter from in the first place because of his overbearing father’s impatience with Bertie’s struggle to speak. King George V was under enormous pressure himself, but it’s still sad to see him take it out on his own flesh and blood.

And that glorious turning point (R). The best scene in the movie just so happens to be where the chiasmus pivots. Up to that point, Bertie has put his foot down when it comes to talking about personal matters. He is completely closed off, and his anger explodes whenever Lionel presses him to open up even a little. But once the king dies and Lionel shares his own loss of his father, this somehow gives Bertie permission to discuss things he’s never shared with anyone outside the royal family.

And it’s this special bond between Bertie and Lionel that enables Bertie to finally begin making real progress in his lessons. For example, he is extremely reluctant to sing as a method of getting his words out clearly. But when he finally tries, it works surprisingly well. And it’s particularly gut wrenching when he sings about how he was mistreated as a small child by his first nanny.

That is the ideal hinge scene for The King’s Speech because it allows the two main characters to bond in a way they hadn’t been able to before. It’s the turning point for their relationship and the story itself.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to overcome my own stutter, but it’s inspirational to see a king accomplish it.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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