Until the Sun Goes Down

Author: George

Location: Atlanta

"Until the Sun Goes Down"

Directed by: Milos Forman

Written by: Milos Forman

Music by: Howard Shore

Starring:

Sam Riley as King George III

Kate Beckinsale as Sophia Charlotte

Sean Bean as William Pitt

Johnny Lee Miller as Charles James Fox

Michael Sheen as John Wilkes

Rutger Hauer as Lord North

Colin Farrell as Lord Bute

James D’Arcy as Prince Henry

Tom Hollander as Frederick, Duke of York

Emma Watson as Princess Amelia

With

Julie Christie as Augusta of Saxe-Gotha

And

Peter O’Toole as King George II

Tagline: “The sun would never set on the British Empire…”

Synopsis:

At 17, George III was different from the usual royalty. This was due mostly to the overly protective care from his mother, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha and her confident, Lord Bute. Her parenting kept George from the rest of the outside world. The one person who truly found something special in him was his father, King George II. He knew his reign was about over and his son would have to carry the mantel. The King gave something very special to his son: a necklace with the saint Michael hanging from it. It was special gift from father to son, and when George II died, George then became King.

When he was announced King, Augusta’s trusted servant, Lord Bute, arranged a marriage between the King and Sophia Charlotte of Strelitz. The King had very little experience with women and was very uncomfortable. Sophia Charlotte was able to resolve these issues with him and the two soon became very fond of each other and would support one another for the rest of their lives.

He was thrown almost immediately into political turmoil. Disagreement over their involvement in the Seven Years’ War turned into an uproar and the young King had no experience with politicians and the bureaucracy. He appointed the only man he trusted to the office of Prime Minister, Lord Bute. There was almost immediate uproar, and a charismatic member of parliament, John Wilkes published a disgracing portrait on Bute and his government, charging bribery, fraud, and above all, an affair with King’s mother. It did not matter whether these claims were true or not, the King was immediately embarrassed and started questioning his own abilities of being king. Wilkes was deported, and his paper never published again but the damage was done. After a begging plea from Bute to stay in the parliament, he was still thrown out and shunned from the upper classes for the rest of his life. The King’s mother stayed secluded throughout the incident.

Soon, the King was also thrown into a revolution in America, and, hastily trying to please his people, tried to create peace with the rebels, but to no avail. He was into two wars and was stuck there for another four years. The King found an ally with William Pitt, who was a good governor of the colonies for a while, and tried to appoint him to Prime Minister after the war. Both shared similar ideals and traits, but the King also found a kindred spirit in Pitt. He was someone just thrown into the problem, but took no self-pity on his circumstances.

The bloody napoleonic wars had ended with a British victory, but the King was not happy. The pressures and guilt from the wars caused his first bout of madness. Held up in his room for almost a week, he shivered constantly and started to yell, speak and laugh uncontrollably. Only by the nurturing of his wife was he able to come back to reality. Afterwards, the first thing he looked for was his necklace.

Political turmoil returned to the King’s life. A renewed conflict with France had taken place and three major players had fought for the spot of Prime Minister. William Pitt had the King’s support, but charismatic politician, and outspoken atheist Charles James Fox had the reputation. Aided by the shady Lord North (who had been curtly dismissed from his political office from the King), Fox endured a major political battle with Pitt, and the King was in the middle of it. Fox openly showed disgust for the King and his lofty ideals (mostly while he was drinking) and Lord North also used what influence he had to spread rumors of the King.. Pitt ended up winning the job of Prime Minister, but the King looked on with disdain as Fox was appointed a high position in Pitt’s cabinet. He looked at his father’s necklace, a source for comfort in a dark time.

As if more pressure couldn’t be added to his reign, John Wilkes returned to England and ran for parliament. His accusations against the King had just been the beginning. He was now thinking of getting rid of the royalty all together, starting first with King George III. The King was at a loss. His brother, Prince Henry, had just been accused of adultery from his wife and peers and the King had to take him in so no harm would come to him. Charles James Fox had just died and the King’s relationship with Pitt had been shattered. He had tried to reconcile but before he could meet with him, Pitt died of pneumonia. Wilkes was elected to office three times and each time the King had to remove him until he was forced to remove him from England all together. His wife had chastised him for taking in his brother. The King had also had some more lapses into madness. One time he was even caught yelling, and then talking with, a tree. Even for a King there is a breaking point, and when his favorite daughter, Princess Amelia died of tuberculosis he could handle it no more.

The King was then transferred to Windsor Castle where he would remain for five years. He soon went completely blind, unable to see anything except his past.. He soon lost all memory of that too, and was caught trying to kill himself twice. He even forgot where his necklace had come from or what it meant. His last visitor was his most accomplished son, Frederick, the Duke of York. On his deathbed and unable to recognize him, the King heard his voice: sad, loving, and understanding of all that he had been through. The King was now alert, his hand of Frederick’s face. He took the necklace around him and put it in Frederick’s palm, with a bittersweet smile on his face. He died in his son’s arms.

“I was the last to consent to the separation; but I would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an independent power." – King George III’s response to John Adams’ letter telling him he would be the American ambassador to Great Britain.

What the press would say:

Tyrant. Fiend. Oppressor of the American People. These are the thoughts that usually come to us when someone mentions the name King George III. The writers of the Declaration of Independence blamed everything directly on the tyrannical King and this thought of him as gone down from generation to generation. Milos Forman’s new epic, Until the Sun Goes Down, is a massive, three hour account on the essence and true nature of King George III. Most historians now agree that the King was a good man who was tossed into a fearful parliament and had to hurriedly deal with major wars with America and France, while dealing with his own bouts of madness. Forman traces the King’s life from when he was 17 and under special care from his mother and father (played by Christie and O’Toole to subtle perfection) to his death when he was 81 years old: completely blind and completely insane. Forman picks a seemingly unusual choice to play the King, in choosing 29 year old Sam Riley (Control). Riley pulls out all the stops to play this incredibly complicated character and starts naïve, young, and quick to smile, but ends old, decrepit and truly mad. He undergoes a Citizen Kane like makeover in the film making him almost unrecognizable at the end of the film. Riley is given the very difficult task of making King George III a human being with doubts, guilt, and feelings like any other man and succeeds to perfection. Guided by an incredible script (penned by Forman himself) Riley embodies his character and makes us forget it is an actor on the screen. His bouts of madness (which could have been laughable if another actor had been in the part) are incredibly real and striking which makes the audience really feel for this King. The rest of the supporting cast is also terrific. Beckinsale is through as much of the film as Riley is and brings a very real and sensitive touch to her character. Lee Miller and Sheen are very convincing in their showy, villainous turns but it is Sean Bean who really stands out from the pack. His portrayal of William Pitt is astonishing and makes him the one true friend to the King during his reign. The technical aspects of the film are top-notch as well. The cinematography and sets are first rate as well as the costumes and make-up.. While Forman is the magician behind the camera, the film really does belong to Riley, whose tour-de-force performance carries the film to a completely new level and makes it different from every other period piece out there.

FYC:

Best Picture

Best Actor (Sam Riley)

Best Actress (Kate Beckinsale)

Best Supporting Actor (Sean Bean)

Best Director (Francis Ford Coppola)

Best Original Screenplay (Francis Ford Coppola and James Schamus)

Best Score

Best Cinematography

Best Art Direction

Best Costume Design

Best Sound

Best Make-up