Time Magazine may have been mistaken in choosing Albert
Einstein to be Man of the Century in 1999.
Einstein was probably the 20th Century’s most important
scientist and one of its greatest thinkers.
The implications of his specific and general relativity theories will
probably always be with mankind. But it
was in large part because of the actions of Winston Churchill that Hitler did
not possess nuclear weapon that Einstein’s theories made possible. I therefore think Churchill would have made a
better choice.
Churchill was the man primarily responsible for England not
surrendering to Hitler. It was Churchill
who met with Roosevelt and Stalin in Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam in deciding the
fate of Europe. Most importantly, it was
Churchill who led Britain during the allied victory during World War II.
In the film Darkest
Hour, Gary Oldman remarkably brings to the screen the personality of
Churchill. The film focuses on a very
short period following May of 1940 after Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup)
resigned his position as prime minister.
This was also a time when the Nazis were occupying Belgium and just
about to invade France. Choosing
Churchill as Chamberlain’s replacement was not a popular choice. However, Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane),
Chamberlain’s first choice as a replacement, declined to take the role by
saying it was not yet his time.
Fortunately, for Europe, it never did become Halifax’s time. In fact, Even King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn)
at first had doubts about his new prime minister.
Churchill seemed to have no popular support anywhere as
Prime Minister save with the people of England.
During the film, Churchill made a trek onto a London train where he
listens to the voices of the public tell him that they want no concessions made
with Hitler. As an aside, this never
actually happened. However, some
reviewers do note that Churchill did frequently take side trips to speak to the
public without letting aides know where he was going.
There were others who believed in Churchill as well. His wife Clemmie (Kristin Scott Thomas) never
doubted her husband’s talents. And the
secretary who was to type all of his speeches, Elizabeth Latyon (Lily James),
also was in awe of Churchill’s great ability to communicate with the public.
Darkest Hour shows
Churchill to be a genuine eccentric. He
drank and smoked cigars, and could at times be extremely tempestuous. His speeches to the public did not receive
favorable reviews from England’s legislative establishment. The establishment wished to see a more
conciliatory approach towards Hitler out of fear that the Luftwaffe would
eventually destroy London if war continued.
Churchill, on the other hand, wished to make no concessions with
Germany.
While always putting up a courageous front, the film shows
Churchill tortured with doubts.
Churchill understood more than anyone what was at stake. He was also a man haunted by memories of Gallipoli,
a campaign he led during World War I, where over 30,000 British soldiers
died. The outcome of that battle led to
continued distrust of Churchill by the British Parliament.
In the eyes of the Parliament, Churchill eventually redeems
himself due to his guidance during the rescue of 300,000 soldiers in Dunkirk. He also impresses the assembly at the film’s
conclusion when giving his rousing speech while stating that Britain would
“never surrender.”
As the film clearly shows, Churchill was a populist. By listening to the public instead of the
advice of professional advisors, he likely saved England. On the other hand, his aggressive rhetoric could
also have led to its destruction. Though
always a controversial figure, it was Churchill who foresaw the impossibility
of negotiating with Hitler.
The merits of Darkest
Hour almost entirely revolve around Oldman’s portrayal of Churchill. This was effective if unusual casting. Oldman’s role depicts both the good and the
bad regarding the former British Prime Minister during this 125-minute
film. And because of good storytelling,
we get to know what was on the mind of the British people at the time of the
Blitzkrieg.
In watching Darkest
Hour, we almost forget that there was anyone else in the movie besides
Oldman. And from what little we actually
see of the London streets, we almost also forget that the public was scared to
venture out due to possible air raids and bombing. It nevertheless is worth watching for Oldman’s
portrayal alone.
Directed by Joe Wright, Darkest
Hour will receive a great deal of Oscar discussion. It received nominations for best picture, and
Gary Oldman received a nomination for best actor. My guess is that Oldman will win, but a film
of lesser quality will become best picture.
January 25, 2018
