18 January 2018
Darkest Hour
A film by Joe Wright
reviewed by J.R.Thomas
Darkest Hour is a film that maybe needs no more reviews; there is not much to add to the superb approbations that the film has already, and rightly, had in the popular prints. It is indeed well worth seeing; the story of three crucial weeks in 1940 which brought Winston Churchill to 10, Downing Street, and swept away those, led by Lord Halifax and Neville Chamberlain, who wanted to attempt to negotiate peace with Hitler. It follows on from Nickolas Shakespeare’s study published last year “Six Minutes in May” (reviewed Shaw Sheet 9th November 2017), which dealt with events leading up the point, more or less, at which Darkest Hour opens, on 10th May, as Winston kisses hands at Buckingham Palace.
He was not a popular choice; reluctantly accepted by Labour to lead a grand coalition, but received with fury as unreliable and flawed in judgment by large swaths of the Tory Party. For those three weeks his position looked tenuous and Churchill himself had doubts as to whether he or his country could survive; until the miracle of Dunkirk and his great “fight on the beaches” speech brought party and country firmly behind him.
Gary Oldman is magnificent and convincing as Churchill; one of the finest representations ever made, bringing out the new Premier’s remarkable energy and strength, but also his emotionalism and moments of “black dog”, the depression which stalked him.
But what should be not be overlooked, indeed makes the film especially worth seeing, are striking performances by a whole legion of actors in supporting roles, led by Kristen Scott-Thomas as Clementine Churchill, a rock indeed to her husband, but a rock with a mind of her own, putting up with no nonsense, and despairing over her husband’s improvidence – he was at the point he took the premiership nearing insolvency and trying to sell his beloved Chartwell. Lily James will cement her rising reputation as Churchill’s secretary, Miss Layton (actually a fusion of three and more), Stephen Dillane is the Holy Fox, Lord Halifax, referring to Halifax’s austere and secretive nature but also his strong religious faith, a significant factor in his urge to avoid war if at all possible, rather played down here. Samuel West also convinces as Anthony Eden, though, if we are carping, Eden was more elegant, and much more aware of his elegance, than as portrayed by Mr West. But the star characterisation has to be that great actor Ronald Pickup who is superb as Neville Chamberlain, a man with a soul shredded by the tragedies of the First World War, a career shattered by his failure to bring peace to Europe, and who was dying of cancer, known only to a very few close friends. Pickup is so magnificent he deserves a film all of his own; perhaps a study of the times around Munich?
This is a superb film, and one whose politics viewers may feel uncomfortably resonant of our times. If that makes you uncomfortable, never mind, just watch a superb cast at its best.
“Darkest Hour” is currently on nationwide release
