Day 76 Darkest Hour [2017]
Screenplay Anthony McCarten
Director Joe
Wright
Cinematography Bruno
Delbonnel
Music Dario
Marianelli
Leads Gary Oldman, Kristin
Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, Ben Mendelsohn
Production Working Title Films,
Perfect World Pictures
IMDb 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes 86%
I try to focus on the film itself and stray away
from the context and history behind films. However, I briefly need to mention
that it can be problematic to ignore the misdemeanours and wrongs of the people
behind-the-scenes or the real-life characters in films. Churchill was not all
the hero he was made out to be. He made decisions that had terrible
consequences for people all over the world, as well as British citizens. He
openly supported the use of poisonous gas in war, by today’s standards was
viciously racist and had a strong belief in the empire. He was a thug and
bully, but a bully knows a bigger bully when he sees one and thus it was likely
this aggressive attitude that saved Britain. I’m not sure what I am getting at –
perhaps that I believe it is important to understand the background of film-makers,
their films and the characters within that film. The old cliché rings true –
you can’t believe everything you see on the television.
Oldman is fantastic, superb, wonderful and 100%
deserving of his long-awaited Academy Award. In my blog news I said that his
win felt too easy and rather scripted, and I stand by that claim, but Oldman
still had to nail it home, and nail it he did. By all accounts, Oldman is
Churchill. Yes, he is full of alcohol and cigar smoke, but once you see passed
that you can tell Oldman has done his homework down to the mannerisms and the
way he moves and speaks. The cast around him are brilliant too. I loved Kristin
Scott Thomas as Churchill’s long-suffering wife Clemmie and Ben Mendelsohn as
King George VI. The film is based only on one month of Churchill’s first stint
as PM from his election to Operation Dynamo (the rescue of allied troops at
Dunkirk). I liked the writing, but the film hinged so drastically on Oldman’s
performance, that I think the story itself was belittled by his performance. I
guess that is suitable for a man that was larger than life. Parts felt rather
too Hollywood, such as the Underground scene, where Churchill talks to his
citizens (there is no evidence he ever really took a journey on the underground
although he did often sneak off to talk to the people of London regularly). The
scene included Churchill happily conversing with a black man, which felt
problematic due to his history. I enjoyed the tension of the MPs and their
parties. Parliamentary dialogue can get boring in films, but they kept it
exciting and understandable, I assume so that the film would be well-received outside
of the UK. I actually found myself getting quite emotional at times, but any
film about people’s struggles in war usually does… I enjoyed it more than I thought
I would and I definitely recommend it, but mainly for Oldman’s performance. It’s
probably similar to Lincoln (Day 29) in that regard.
Acting 4
/ 4
Writing 3
/ 4
Cinematography 3.5
/ 4
Music 3
/ 4
HWF
rating 3 / 4