Outcasts and The Kings Speech … blimey!

Feb 16, 2011

I don’t think I’ve ever written a blog entry which has so many comments … must say something about my other stuff!

What I find interesting is almost everybody went off discussing Outcasts, I got one accusation of being jaded and a Top Gear lover … eh? Only a couple of people seemed to notice the other half of the post about The Kings Speech. The film is only about 90 minutes long, yet for me, it packed more emotion and empathy for the characters into the first 10 mins than I saw in two hours of Outcasts. The Kings Speech essentially has only three characters; Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helen Bonham-Carter. Outcasts has at least twice if not more than that. Most of the Kings Speech takes place in one or two badly decorated rooms. Outcasts has great special effects and dramatic scenery. The Kings Speech concentrates on events that were relevant to only a few people directly, though admittedly it had ripples throughout the world. Outcasts is about the future of the whole of humanity. The deck is totally stacked in the favour of Outcasts really as being the superior drama.

So what is it that can bring me to tears (and laughter) within 10 mins of watching the King’s Speech, yet was missing in Outcasts? Is it acting ability? Is it the script-writer? The producer? Director? All of them?

Answers on a postcard …

Cheers

Dave Mc

2 responses

David Brown

February 16, 2011 at 10:58 pm

In response ,I believe that any drama must ,in order to the stimulate kind of emphatic emmotional response to which you refer, capture your attention immediately! If we ignore the actor’s director cinematographer etc. and concentrate instead on the viewer we may get a few clues to this theatrical phenomenon in what we bring to a viewing.Firstly we are familiar with the movies content(kings speech), secondly as you have said there are fewer characters to relate to, thus we have a more in depth understanding of them within a shorter period of time.The limited and basic sets leave us uncluttered visually thus able to focus on the script.When we are required to suspend belief the effort may detract immediately from our appreciation.We must also take into account our personal circumstances at the time of viewing,For instance, was it a hard day at work,were we stressed by the kids not to mention how much hype we have absorbed?
Then we can get onto the script direction etc. etc.
Sometimes it can be down to one character or cheesey line.
However as I have said before to compare these two is akin to the old chalk and cheese addage.
At the end of the day we ‘pays our money and makes our choice’.

Reply
1. davemcmahon81
  
  February 16, 2011 at 11:04 pm
  
  Thanks David, nice comment
  
  Reply

The Blog

Dave Mc muses about history, travel, writing, coaching, astronomy, technology and life, family and the world around us. You may agree with his opinions, you may not, that’s life …