Film Review: Darkest Hour

As arguably Britain’s most famous Prime Minister, Winston Churchill has not gone without his fair share of historical biopics over the years, seeing many actors pick up a homburg hat and a cigar and walk hunchbacked around the fictional halls of Number 10. Darkest Hour is the latest feature to join the collection of homages to the wartime leader, concentrating around the conception of Churchill’s leadership in May 1940, when Britain was facing imminent invasion from Nazi Germany.

The film begins as a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin has taken place, leaving Parliament seeking a new leader. The scene then cuts to Winston Churchill in a more intimate setting than we're used to seeing him, in bed with his cat wearing a pink dressing gown and not much else. Here we see the first display of his notorious brutish manner, as he becomes impatient with a new typist reducing her to tears and throwing her out of his bedroom. Later, however, she returns with a letter from Buckingham Palace, containing life changing information. After a rather awkward encounter and kiss on the hand of King George VI, Churchill is officially appointed as Great Britain’s Prime Minister, in the most difficult time of its existence. As his family eerily toast to his success in gas masks, it is obvious that this will be their last celebration for a very long time.

The opposition towards Churchill in Parliament is clear as he implements a policy of resistance and perseverance, discarding the idea of peace negotiations, making him a lone wolf amongst men. Oldman shows this best whilst sitting in the red glow of the broadcast room, ready to speak live to the nation on the BBC, where he scribbles speech notes up until the last second. As bystanders look on with bated breath, he leaves a moment of silence before projecting a powerful and compelling speech that solidifies his reputation as a great orator.

The films style is similar to many in the period drama genre, showing the smoky corridors of the War Cabinet Rooms, we hear the click-clack of the typewriters and the faint sounds of incoming transmissions as Churchill marks positions on maps of Western Europe. But despite its classic feel, Wright opts to sporadically display the dates across the screen giving a constant time frame and context to the story. The somewhat imposing and modern typeface stops you from ever getting too engrossed in the scenes, acting as a reminder that you are a fly on the wall, watching the accurate unfolding of real events.

The most interesting parts of this film come in the intimate moments where we are really made to feel like we are getting a look behind closed doors. This is done especially well when after learning the imminent fate of Dunkirk, we are given a glimpse at the boyish vulnerability of Churchill, sat barefoot and alone in a dark shabby room, wherein his lowest moment his doting wife comes to his aid. This small moment of hopelessness is portrayed beautifully by Oldman, which makes his performance all the more triumphant when he shows Churchill choosing to continue onwards with his daring and restive tactics.

Overall, this film stands as a dedication to the unwavering attitude that led Churchill to eventually win the war. Although some creative licence was taken with his close relationship with the public, (shown in a romanticised scene on the London Underground where he quotes poetry with poor folk) it shows clearly that when it came to true leadership qualities, Churchill had them by the bucket load. To anybody who doesn’t have a good knowledge of the events of the war, it does feel that a few important pieces of information are missing that would give the events a bit more context, but what it does show, it portrays brilliantly. Hats off to Oldman for avoiding the cookie cutter cliches of Churchill and showing a more personable side to how the Prime Minister handled one of the most turbulent and defining times that Britain has ever seen.

Darkest Hour is screening at Broadway Cinema until Tuesday 30 January

Trailer