shallow myth-making

Rating: 3/10 (14 March 2018)

There is a lightness of touch to Joe Wright, a frivolity, that invades the tone of this film and sets it off-kilter. Any biopic takes on the challenge of creating drama and tension from events we may already be familiar with. This is perhaps more pronounced when it comes to such a titanic historical figure as Churchill. The film rightly invests its time in showing just how fraught the political struggle Churchill faced to fight rather than negotiate was. Unfortunately, Darkest Hour lacks complexity in its portrayal. Churchill shouts at a secretary, who becomes a cheer-leading personal assistant. His wife is similarly one note, admonishing him while managing to steadfastly encourage him at the same time. Halifax and Chamberlain are reduced to vaudeville villainy, while the king is a pompous buffoon. There are some clunky set pieces, most notably a cringe-worthy outing by Churchill on a Tube train to engage with the good folk of Britain. These include a black man, the only black man on the train, and possibly in the whole film, and the most earnest child in the history of Albion. Stalinist propaganda filmmakers would blush at such tokenism. Oldman opts for acting as impersonation rather than interpretation. It's a convincing impersonation, but still mimicry rather than artistry. Wright's depiction of Dunkirk in 'Atonement' had the showmanship of the circus ring, and has been devalued by Nolan's recent more authentic portrayal. Churchill's darkest hour will no doubt be re-visited and re-evaluated in the future when a filmmaker more in tune with the material takes it on.