Darkest Hour - Review
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn
The evacuation of Dunkirk has been a frequent presence in British film over the past couple of years; firstly it was the subject of a fictional film in Their Finest, next the sole focus of Christopher Nolan's war epic aptly titled Dunkirk and now Darkest Hour, a film that centres around the crucial days of Churchill's reign as Prime Minister as he must decide whether to save the British soldiers trapped on Dunkirk beaches or leave them stranded to face certain death. The Germans are rapidly advancing and Churchill attempts to restore peace in the face of insurmountable odds.
Having lost faith in the capabilities of Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup), Winston Churchill (Oldman) is appointed as British Prime Minister. Within days, Churchill must face the toughest and most defining of trials: consider the option of negotiating a peace treaty with Nazi Germany or stand firm and fight for the freedom of his nation. As Nazi forces invade most of Western Europe and the pressure is increasingly mounting, Churchill must emerge from the darkest of hours and rally a nation to victory.
A dialogue-driven and politically centred period piece may not sound like it presents fantastic opportunities for a visually dynamic experience, but with Joe Wright at the helm, it becomes the antithesis of your expectations and the director redeems himself after his rare misstep with 2015's Pan. Churchill's reveal and introduction is one worthy of such an iconic and emblematic historical figure; he sits shrouded in darkness before his face is briefly lit by the striking of match to light his cigar. It's unsurprising that Wright would imbue such a strong and ambitious style as a quick glance at his CV is evidence of his prowess and memorable movie moments, namely the astounding 5 minute long tracking shot in Atonement along Dunkirk beach where the horrific effects of World War II are concentrated. Although both Atonement and Darkest Hour tackle the same period in history, the latter never depicts the physical war and focuses solely on Churchill's politics and efforts to survive the war.
Darkest Hour has been heralded as actor Gary Oldman's finest as he physically transforms with the help of prosthetics beyond recognition to play the former British Prime Minister. Oldman has been winning all of the major awards for his performance, but I dare say that his casting is the film's least inspired choice and he has been dealt a great disservice by Churchill fatigue as Jon Lithgow's interpretation on Netflix's The Crown made quite the impact and Brian Cox also starred as the character in 2017's Churchill. However, there are scenes in which he truly shines, particularly the sequence where Churchill goes rogue and boards the London Underground, interacting with the public he serves and speaking frankly with them about the monumental decision he has to make. This encounter is entirely fictional but Oldman perfectly embodies the gruff charm that Churchill possessed.
Boldly directed with a script by Anthony McCarten that packs a punch, Darkest Hour is a traditional biopic that'll satisfy history buffs but fail to ignite much excitement or memorability in general movie-going audiences - but it will nab Oldman that long overdue Oscar.
EB
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn
The evacuation of Dunkirk has been a frequent presence in British film over the past couple of years; firstly it was the subject of a fictional film in Their Finest, next the sole focus of Christopher Nolan's war epic aptly titled Dunkirk and now Darkest Hour, a film that centres around the crucial days of Churchill's reign as Prime Minister as he must decide whether to save the British soldiers trapped on Dunkirk beaches or leave them stranded to face certain death. The Germans are rapidly advancing and Churchill attempts to restore peace in the face of insurmountable odds.Having lost faith in the capabilities of Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup), Winston Churchill (Oldman) is appointed as British Prime Minister. Within days, Churchill must face the toughest and most defining of trials: consider the option of negotiating a peace treaty with Nazi Germany or stand firm and fight for the freedom of his nation. As Nazi forces invade most of Western Europe and the pressure is increasingly mounting, Churchill must emerge from the darkest of hours and rally a nation to victory.
A dialogue-driven and politically centred period piece may not sound like it presents fantastic opportunities for a visually dynamic experience, but with Joe Wright at the helm, it becomes the antithesis of your expectations and the director redeems himself after his rare misstep with 2015's Pan. Churchill's reveal and introduction is one worthy of such an iconic and emblematic historical figure; he sits shrouded in darkness before his face is briefly lit by the striking of match to light his cigar. It's unsurprising that Wright would imbue such a strong and ambitious style as a quick glance at his CV is evidence of his prowess and memorable movie moments, namely the astounding 5 minute long tracking shot in Atonement along Dunkirk beach where the horrific effects of World War II are concentrated. Although both Atonement and Darkest Hour tackle the same period in history, the latter never depicts the physical war and focuses solely on Churchill's politics and efforts to survive the war.
Darkest Hour has been heralded as actor Gary Oldman's finest as he physically transforms with the help of prosthetics beyond recognition to play the former British Prime Minister. Oldman has been winning all of the major awards for his performance, but I dare say that his casting is the film's least inspired choice and he has been dealt a great disservice by Churchill fatigue as Jon Lithgow's interpretation on Netflix's The Crown made quite the impact and Brian Cox also starred as the character in 2017's Churchill. However, there are scenes in which he truly shines, particularly the sequence where Churchill goes rogue and boards the London Underground, interacting with the public he serves and speaking frankly with them about the monumental decision he has to make. This encounter is entirely fictional but Oldman perfectly embodies the gruff charm that Churchill possessed.
Boldly directed with a script by Anthony McCarten that packs a punch, Darkest Hour is a traditional biopic that'll satisfy history buffs but fail to ignite much excitement or memorability in general movie-going audiences - but it will nab Oldman that long overdue Oscar.
EB
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