Living Up to the Legend

Rating: 10/10 (5 March 2018)

For those of us who grew up in the 60s and 70s we grew up with the iconic personas of the past, historical figures that transformed history we were reading about WWII into reality as we knew it. While many of those figures had passed away a few remained. One of those was Winston Churchill. We'd read or listened to recordings of his speeches. Movies have been made about his life but few have the impact or provide as in depth a depiction of the man as DARKEST HOUR.
The film opens with Parliament in turmoil. The year is 1940 and the predictions Churchill made about Hitler and Nazi Germany have come to fruition. Belgium and France have both been invaded. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's (Ronald Pickup) hope for peace has been crushed and his removal from office demanded. But who to put in his place? The position is offered to Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) but he turns it down. To placate both sides of Parliament they choose Churchill (Gary Oldman).
Our first glimpse of Churchill comes as he awakened at home to interview a new girl as his personal secretary. Elizabeth Layton (Lilly James) is nervous and warned about numerous personal idiosyncrasies that Churchill has. It doesn't take long before those pour forth as he chastises, yells and insults her causing her to run from the room. Before leaving she is handed a telegraph to deliver to him, the word that he has been offered the post of Prime Minister.
Churchill forms his cabinet and in an effort to please both parties selects both Chamberlain and Halifax to be a part of it. He then moves forward with his own view of what to do with the current invasion of all European states by Hitler: fight on to the bitter end. Of course this doesn't sit well with Chamberlain, Halifax and their party who instead push the idea of peace.
As the movie progresses we're presented with three stories running concurrently. The first is the political maneuverings among party lines. While Halifax may have turned down the opportunity to become PM it doesn't mean he isn't ambitious. By allowing Churchill to take the position he has room to move and perhaps form a contingency to remove Churchill from office and take his place, sowing seeds of discontent among his peers behind the scenes.
The second is the imminent battles being fought in France. Churchill continues to believe in the strength of the combined forces of the British and French armies. As those begin to crumble and the soldiers retreat he must then make the decision to find a way to rescue them or to capitulate to Hitler. The last location the troops can make is the seaside town of Dunkirk.
The third story here revolves around Churchill's personal life. Scenes with his wife Clemmie (Kristin Scott Thomas), his family and those friends closest to him, few though there may be. His brash and bullying attitude has earned him no long list of allies. Even King George VI (Ben Mendelson) is wary of his being in this position. How Churchill can overcome his overbearing ways and save the country makes for one tremendously dramatic story.
The movie does a tremendous job of bringing both the man and history to life. Instead of boring newsreel footage that we've seen again and again we're made privy to what went on in the back rooms and secluded war rooms of the British Empire. Knowing what we now know of the things Hitler and the Nazis did it seems inconceivable that the British military would even consider a peace agreement with them but they did. And the speech that Churchill presents near the very end of the film remains as stirring today as it was when it was delivered.
The entire movie relies on one major thing and that is the performance of Oldman as Churchill. Many actors have played this role. And with the right prosthetic makeup many would be able to look like the man. But it takes an enormous amount of skill to not just look like Churchill but to bring him to life. Oldman has done that here in the most amazing way. Every nuance in his abilities is used here to make the man come alive. Moments occur where the words are gone and he falls silent but the emotions, concerns and mindset of the man are on display by Oldman. He won the Oscar for Best Male Performance and deservedly so for his role here.
Earlier this year we were presented with the film DUNKIRK about what happened on those beaches that day. This movie would make a fantastic double feature with that film, using this one to set up what happened that day and the month prior. That's all this movie focuses on, the month that it took for Churchill to take office, pull off Dunkirk and to inspire a nation. It does so looking glorious at the same time with cinematography, set design, costuming and makeup that make you feel as if you are there. You can't pay a better compliment to a film than that.