He Mobilized the English Language and Sent it to War
Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill is the not the actor I would have expected to play this role. But he fully plays and is Winston Church. I am going to cut right to the chase, Darkest Hour needs to win the Oscar for best make-up. What they did to turn Oldman into Churchill is a work of art.
What Oldman and the script do shows Churchill has humerous. Early in the movie, before Churchill is named PM, the humor in the character is sharp and observant. I laughed way more than I expected to in this movie. That’s a good thing.
The movie tells of the very early days of Churchill’s time as a Prime Minister in the middle of World War 2. It begins as Neville Chamberlain is forced to resigned. The movie addresses the Dunkirk situation, where 300,000 British troops were pushed to beaches of France, and the only way to get them out was for civilian boats to get them out.
I love that movie doesn’t deal with the forgone conclusion that Germany will be defeated. The film focuses on a time when British forces were close to being totally eliminated. The movie may stretch some details a little in order develop more tension. In the film Neville and Lord Halifax are positioning themselves to instigate a vote of no confidence. But there isn’t any historical evidence for this.
One scene, Churchill travels on the tube in the Underground, to hear from regular people their opinion. And it is from this interaction Churchill develops his famous “We will fight” speech that he delivered to house early in his term.
The film’s cinematography is nominated for an Oscar and it is definitely worthy of the nomination. When Churchill and King George VI meet for the George to offer him the Prime Minister position, Bruno Delbonnel makes the shadows and light stark as the two famous men stand and face each other.
Ben Mendleson is excellent as King George VI. He handles the King’s strutter with subtly. The story of the King’s stutter was explored very well in the movie The King’s Speech with Colin Firth. Mendleson pauses just enough to remind us of the King’s speech without making it the main thing.
Kristen Scott Thomas plays Clementine Churchill. She owns the scene when the family celebrates Churchill’s appointment to PM, telling the family that she almost didn’t marry Winston. She had cold feet because she knew that she and her future children would always come second, as Churchill served the public. This is a wonderful scene as it let’s us in on the life of living with such an important historical person.
Gary Oldman is a serious contender for the Oscar for Best Actor with this role. He lives this role.
The movie ends with the quote about Churchill's orator status, "He Mobilized the English Language and Sent it to War," and that wraps up the movie perfectly.
Final Thoughts
The movie is nominated a for Best Picture, and I would recommend checking this out at the theater if you can. It is beautifully acted, attractive photography, and superbly acted. I recommend it.