--- title: "The Madness of King George: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-madness-of-king-george/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-madness-of-king-george" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Madness of King George (1994): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 6 reviews: 4 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Madness of King George, with praise concentrated on Nigel Hawthorne’s performance as a monarch whose wit and authority give way to suffering and vulnerability. The reviews repeatedly credit Nicholas Hytner with balancing Alan Bennett’s comedy and pathos, while making the court and its political manoeuvring feel tangible. For the admirers, the adaptation retains the play’s verbal sharpness without feeling confined to the stage. The spread is nevertheless wide, with reservations about the film’s substance, politics and handling of history. Some critics find the polished dialogue less effective on screen, or question the treatment of the king’s illness and the doctor’s discipline. The Independent offers the strongest dissent, finding the adaptation slick but diminished and unfair to historical figures. The Guardian takes a markedly different view, praising its historical accuracy and psychological tact while acknowledging minor dramatic licence. ## Radio Times — Adrian Turner Rating 5/5. Nigel Hawthorne delivers an inspired, funny and deeply moving performance as the troubled king in this celebrated, Oscar-winning adaptation of Alan Bennett's play. Immaculately directed by Nicholas Hytner, it offers a sharp study of 18th-century politics and monarchy and stands as an unmissable treat and the finest period vision since Barry Lyndon. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-urlt8o/the-madness-of-king-george/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 1995. The film is a fond, lighthearted portrait of the king's mental disintegration and struggle to retain his throne and wits. Hawthorne's barbed yet lovable performance, full of suffering, sweetness and vulnerability, is the centerpiece, supported by strong direction that balances comedy and pathos. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-madness-of-king-george-1995) ## Empire — Clark Collis Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Hytner's debut is excellent as he keeps Bennett's script from lingering too long in farce or tragedy; the standout is Hawthorne's career-best performance as the monarch. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/madness-king-george-review/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. This elegant adaptation of Alan Bennett's stage success is the best of his screen contributions to date, sturdily performed and persuasively detailed with a sharp eye for political intrigue. It is funny and moving, though the treatment of the disciplinarian doctor feels slightly reactionary and the film leaves a sense that there is less substance than surface suggests. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-madness-of-king-george) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 1995. The film is more civilized and literate than most current movies but feels rather dead-ended, with glossy witticisms that do not always translate well from stage to screen. It portrays the king's descent into base humanity amid court intrigues, though it leans reactionary in its treatment of traditions and madness. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/01/16/power-mad) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 19 March 1995. The film is an effective but rather sly adaptation of Bennett's play that tidies up the material into something brisk and sumptuous, though it remains poor work by the writer's own standards and amounts to a crude libel on certain historical figures. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-man-who-should-be-king-1611913.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 28 December 1994. The film transforms an unlikely historical footnote into one of the year's triumphs—potent, engrossing and thrilling—thanks in large part to Hawthorne's heroic, humane performance as the monarch. Hytner deftly opens up the play, making a distant world feel physically real while keeping every aspect amusing, surprising and delightful. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-28-ca-13626-story.html) ## The Guardian Rating A– (entertainment), A– (history). 18 February 2010. The critic calls the film a triumph and model of historical accuracy and psychological tact in its depiction of George III's illness and the surrounding politics. They single out Nigel Hawthorne's performance for particular praise while noting minor dramatic licence and an error with a curate. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/feb/18/madness-king-george-alan-bennett-nigel-hawthorne) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 28 December 1994. Hytner's splendid adaptation is an exuberant tragicomedy that serves as a superb showcase for Hawthorne's mercurial performance as the witty, pathetic and fiery king. The film captures the monarch's awareness of his slipping power and the political adversaries awaiting his decline. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/28/movies/film-review-going-mad-without-being-a-sore-loser.html) ## Variety 16 December 1994. Hytner makes a stunning screen directorial debut with Bennett's comic-tragic drama of the tormented king. Hawthorne reprises his stage role with strong screen presence, light self-mockery and pathos, while the film smoothly moves between controlled indoor settings and gloriously staged outdoor scenes. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/the-madness-of-king-george-2-1200439660/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-madness-of-king-george.md