“Those who never change their minds never change anything.”
After finally achieving his lifelong dream of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) is immediately thrust into facing the country’s most turbulent situation in its history; fighting off the impending invasion of Nazi Germany. In the tug and pull between war and peace with his wartime cabinet, Churchill must decide whether he follows his instincts and confronts the Nazis, or capitulates to his political rivals and tries to negotiate a truce.
Darkest Hour is one part biopic; a snapshot of a moment in time. On the other hand, the film serves as part exploration of the question of how best to answer an aggressive counterpart, fight or flight? Churchill’s struggle to convince his cabinet of the need to fight displays how steadfast you must remain in your beliefs despite the pressure to fold. Doing what you believe is right in the face of massive resistance is a struggle all of us will face on some level and this retelling of history is a high stakes example of how important that is. The film was also funnier than I expected, due to the smart decision by Wright to weave Churchill’s trademark wit into the film’s DNA.
What shocked me while watching this film was the absolutely stunning cinematography. Director of Photography Bruno Delbonnel and Director Joe Wright’s flair for great shots was evident from the onset, with the use of light during King George VI’s (Ben Mendelsohn) first meeting with Churchill. Both stood feet from each other with the natural sunlight from the window placed perfectly over them, as they felt each other out at the start of their new partnership. There was also the shot of the young boy in France, glancing above at Churchill’s plane through his partially closed hand, then closing the hand to transition to the next shot. But my favorite shot, perhaps the shot of the year, was a transition from an overhead shot of a bombed warfield in France into the face of a dead soldier and fire from wartime reflecting in his opened eye. It was so masterfully done that I actually murmured aloud to myself “Incredible” as I watched it developed. Darkest Hour may have the best cinematography in film this year.
I enjoyed seeing young Lily James onscreen again after this summer’s Baby Driver, displaying her range as Churchill’s young assistant Elizabeth Layton. Mendelsohn’s portrayal of King George, and the subtle hints of his speech impediment, were also nicely done and added to the overall great ensemble performance. But, Gary Oldman’s performance is what makes everything go and he absolutely nails the part; completely transforming into Winston Churchill and remaining engrossing throughout every second of his long amount of time onscreen. Oldman’s Churchill is simultaneously comedic, strong, commanding, and vulnerable. The scene involving the debate over what to do about the British troops stranded in Dunkirk, France is the best example of his multifaceted portrayal. Churchill is fiery when demanding that troops be used to help the evacuation instead of attempting to negotiate a truce with the Axis then quickly transitions to worried, desperate, and vulnerable in the aftermath when alone and asking American President Franklin D. Roosevelt for any assistance he can muster. Oldman again displays Churchill’s softer side during an impromptu ride on the Tube where he queries the everyday British people’s taste for fight or flight. After a 2-3 year period where notable actors such as Bryan Cranston and John Lithgow have offered their own portrayals of Winston Churchill to rave reviews and award recognition, Oldman still manages to make his performance stand out and appear unique and special in a crowded field.
Darkest Hour manages to take a story we’ve seen and heard countless times before, starring a character we’ve seen countless times before, and make it an engrossing film with some new teachable moments. The film’s stunning cinematography also helps to set it apart and coupled with a performance of the year level effort from star Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour settles into a spot as one of the year’s best.
Image: Focus Features
