They dominate the screen with their regal presence, their valour and grace or their brutal and unquestionable power. Like them or hate them (or sometimes even both) these are the top ten greatest kings we have seen on the movie screen!
10. Henry VIII (The Other Boleyn Girl) – Eric Bana
Henry VIII was arguably the first modern monarch of England, famous for his split with Rome, his tumultuous love affairs and his not so chivalrous attitude towards the women he married. The Other Boleyn Girl concentrates on his relationship with the two Boleyn sisters – the notorious Anne and the coy Mary, who fight among themselves for the love and attention of the capricious king. Bana is at his elemental best portraying a man often described by historians as a force of nature - uncontrollable in his desires, unlimited in his power, relentless in his dream to secure the line of succession.
9. Richard III (Richard III) – Ian McKellen
Before he was Magneto and Gandalf the Grey, sir Ian Mckellen unleashed his monumental talent in this modern adaptation of the Shakespearean classic. His Richard III looks like a Reichsmarshal of Nazi Germany – cold, calculating, utterly immoral, Machiavellian. McKellen is simply sublime – in every gesture, every expression of the face, in his impeccable delivery of the monologues.
8. King George III (The Madness of King George) – Nigel Hawthorne
A biographical film about one of the most enigmatic rulers of Britain – the mad king George III. The movie centers not around George the King, but George the man – a thoroughly introvert person in love with his family, who likes farming much more than his royal duties. It also depicts in painful detail the inhuman ways of treating mentally insane people in the 18th century, even if they were royals. Perfect performances by both Nigel Hawthorne as King George and Helen Mirren as his wife Queen Charlotte.
7. King Arthur (First Knight) – Sean Connery
It doesn’t take much to imagine Sean Connery as king. And when he plays the older, wiser Arthur of Camelot, everything clicks perfectly in its place. In arguably the most romantic of all movie versions of the Arthurian legend Richard Gere plays a wayward soldier of fortune Lancelot who falls in love with the princess Guinevere. But the true star of the film is Connery with his larger-than-life portrayal of the noble great king – with all his hopes, fears, disappointments and inner strength.
6. King Louis XIV (The Man in the Iron Mask) – Leonardo DiCaprio
As inspiring and noble Arthur is, so vile and repulsive is Louis XIV in The Man in the Iron Mask. Utterly spoiled, the young king can only think of his pleasures, lovers, and grand parties. Egoistically in love with himself, the King of France cares for no one else – including the country he rules. DiCaprio is more than convincing in the role of the hedonistic monarch, but he receives some mighty help from the likes of Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Byrne, John Malkovich and Gerard Depardieu as the four great musketeers.
5. King Mongkut (Anna and the King) – Chow Yun Fat
It is Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat who turn this romantic movie into a period drama worth watching. Their subtle and deeply emotional performance perfectly depicts the difference in stance and culture between a British schoolteacher and the King of Siam. While King Mongkut considers himself a modern man and a visionary of progress, he would still not tolerate even the slightest challenge to his absolute power and sentences one of his concubines to death for infidelity.
4. Saladin (Kingdom of Heaven) – Ghassan Massoud
Unlike all the other members of the list, Saladin played a supporting role in Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven but his presence and charisma were so imposing that I had to include him in the list. The great and noble king of the Saracens who reclaimed Jerusalem in 1187 was powerfully portrayed by veteran Syrian actor Ghassan Massoud. Unlike most of his European regal contemporaries, Saladin showed great mercy and compassion at the siege of Jerusalem and let all the Christians leave the city peacefully. His dialogue with Balian at the very end of is arguably the best scene of the movie.
3. Henry V (Henry V) – Kenneth Branagh
Young Kenneth Branagh delivers arguably the greatest performance in his illustrious career as the inspiring and heroic Henry V – the victor of Agincourt. Tackling with superb expertise the challenging lines of Shakespeare, Branagh convinces the audience to root for him, down to the last second. While Henry V is one of the most ambitious cinematic adaptations of the greatest playwright of all time, it still relies on the purely personal emotions of the characters and does not hide behind epic action sequences unlike most of the modern historical movies.
2. Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) – Viggo Mortensen
Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Elessar – the heir of the legendary Isildur and the throne of Gondor – stands as number two on my list. The closest thing we have seen to the classic Arthurian image, Aragorn has to fight off all the forces of evil before they destroy his heirloom. Along with Gandalf the Grey (turned White in The Two Towers) he is the natural leader of the Fellowship. Brave, moral, honorable, expert swordsman ready to sacrifice himself for the cause he believes in – Aragorn has all the quintessential qualities of a King as we want him to be.
1. King George VI (The King’s Speech) – Colin Firth
The most humane, humble and down-to-earth of all kings on the list, King George VI of Britain was the symbol of staunch resistance and a source of inspiration for the nation during the Second World War. But Tom Hooper’s brilliant movie deals with his most intimate problems and struggles – the lack of confidence, the stutter, his reluctance to be King, the sense of duty and the deep love of his family. Colin Firth is nothing short of sensational in the part of the monarch and quite deservedly won the Oscar for it.
