The King’s Speech won big at last night’s Oscars, so, Gerard Baker asks in the Wall Street Journal, what does that choice tell us about the awards?
It surely appealed perfectly to the Academy’s self-image as the voice of the disadvantaged (even kings can be disadvantaged, apparently). But it also hit all Oscar’s other key messaging points–grand themes of human endeavour, struggles between good and evil.
In sum, it was a perfect Oscar story: Unlikely Hero Overcomes Flaw to Achieve Greatness. And not just any Hero or any Greatness. A king, no less, whose triumph over adversity was critical in defeating the greatest tyranny the world has ever seen.
