Darkest Hour [Blu-ray] [2017]

Gary Oldman plays Churchill as no-one else can, a master performance of a great British prime minister.

This is an outstanding film for me. Churchill seems real.

Probably the most accurate statement about “Darkest Hour” is on the media front cover – i.e. “Gary Oldman is Winston Churchill”.I speak as a keen reader / viewer of this era in history and, in particular, Winston Spencer Churchill and have read most of the biographies (I recommend the Roy Jenkins portrait of Churchill) and have seen most of the relevant movies. So, hopefully, it should carry some weight when I say that, with all due respect to other portrayers of Churchill, such as Albert Finney and the excellent Timothy Spall, this is most certainly in a class of its own.Gary Oldman does not simply do an excellent portrayal of Churchill – this IS Winston Churchill. The physical resemblance is extraordinary (especially bearing in mind that, as his own self, Oldman looks nothing like Churchill!) – but, also, the speech, mannerisms, indeed the whole WSC personality, is perfectly done. It is, indeed, a tour-de-force to have achieved this in respect of one of the most complex and difficult characters in British history – one who could, in turn, be obnoxious and engaging, despairing and triumphant, hated and adored, and so on.So, whilst the likeness to Churchill is extraordinary, it is the overall delivery of Churchill as a whole which is absolutely flawless.Of course, much of the movie is fictionalized – for example, my favourite bit, the encounter with the folks on the London Underground most certainly did not happen. [Churchill did once try the Tube many years earlier and had to be rescued! – but certainly never did so again.] Yet it is one of the many scenes in the movie which makes you feel that, if it didn’t happen quite this way, it should have!In the stirring finale, when Churchill overcomes the plot in the War Cabinet to enter into negotiations with Hitler, via Mussolini, I would like to have seen included the (possibly apocryphal, but probably true) Churchill quotation, when he was warned that Italy might enter the war on the side of the Axis – “Well, it’s only fair – we had them last time…”Simply superb!

Having lost my blu-ray copy of the movie, I gave up looking for the film and decided in the 4K. Sometimes the so-called upscaling process is hard to see (from HD to UHD), but the picture is an improvement. The one I got had the blu-ray provided also, but won’t be watching it. It’s still a good film, whichever version you see. I didn’t think it would be any good when the trailers played on television for its cinema release. But Gary Oldman’s performance is great as Churchill. Another movie about Churchill came out around the same time, with Brian Cox, but don’t think it would be quite as cinematic as this: it’s like an old war movie, albeit without any battles. As for Brian Cox, his film didn’t really seem to do well, but might give it a look: Succession is one of the best tv shows I’ve seen and all the actors are great in it.

great thanks

Firstly, let me say that you will find, in these reviews, many opinions, conjecture, supposition and personal interpretations of events and character. That’s all perfectly acceptable. You’ll also see these same things presented as facts. That’s less acceptable.This is a fact.Churchill’s Granddaughter, Celia Sandys, herself an author (aged 74), stated the following in January of this year, 2018.“I would like to congratulate Gary for an incredible performance. So often when I’ve watched people playing my grandfather, I’ve winced and felt it was overdone or somehow fell flat but you’ve done a wonderful job. Churchill was twinkly and funny and affectionate, and he certainly wasn’t curmudgeonly of character. Of course, there were moments, and in that period he had a load to bear. He was never afraid of showing his feelings and crying.”This is an opinion.I find that to be a very moving and authoritative endorsement of the film’s portrayal of the man.This is another fact.Anyone really wishing to encounter a definitive account of the events depicted in this film should read Winston Churchill’s six-volume History of the Second World War. I have. (the first two volumes would probably be enough)This is an opinion.I loved the film. It does use legitimate and proportionate dramatic license to compress events (quotations etc.) into a timescale suitable for a theatrical presentation. By using this device, it achieves its objective of accurately presenting the whole character of a man who many judge to be the greatest ever Englishman.This is another fact.The film, for the first time ever, presents the Battle of Calais and the men who fought it in their true historical perspective. Their sacrifice is as worthy a tale as the evacuation from Dunkirk. Yes, there were roughly 4,000 men there, only two thousand were actually combat trained, many were cooks, drivers and mechanics. Of the two thousand trained men, many were unarmed, some had only side arms, they had few vehicles and fewer tanks. Many died, many more were taken prisoner and a few, very few escaped, and they are mentioned in the full text of the ‘fight them on the beaches’ speech. Everyone remembers Dunkirk, even Harry Styles! Not enough people remember Calais.There are a couple of books that tell some of the story. Flames of Calais by Airey Neave (a cabinet minister assassinated by the IRA) who was there and taken as a POW. Moral Chains by Richard A. McDonald who wasn’t there but has a fertile imagination and appears to know how to conduct proper historical research. Akin to Ken Follett it says, and his work is not for the faint of heart.

Brilliant film..

speed and excellence of service

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Excellent film ,of good quality and portrays the story correctly

Ein ausgezeichneter Film über die Zeit als Churchill Premierminister wurde, bis zur Niederlage Frankreichs. Der Film stellt Churchill in einem persönlichen Licht dar mit all seinen Schwächen und Schrullen. Für die Szene in der U-Bahn gibt es zwar kein Zeugnis, allerdings war Churchill bekannt dafür während des Krieges immer wieder irgendwo in London aufzutauchen und mit Menschen zu sprechen.Eine völlig andere empfehlenswerte Kriegsgeschichte ist "Der Flieger von Tsingtau" von Gunther Plüschow.

Enjoyed this history of Churchill.

Gary Oldman is an excellent actor and I have enjoyed several of his films like Bram Stoker's Dracula, Air Force One, the Batman films as Commissioner Gordon and as Smiley in the remake of Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy (originally Alec Guiness which is also very good). In Darkest Hour, I feel he surpasses his acting ability compared to his other films. To me, he brought Churchill to life, in the way he spoke, his physical mannerisms, his dress, being a hard drinker and heavy smoker, showing his frailties, which made him stronger and determined to show he was right about "that man", whom Chamberlain was arrogantly blind to believe his "signed paper" he brings to England, after meeting "that man" was their salvation, yet the country was still Blitzed. The kindness he shows to his secretary when he takes her to the map room to show her Dunkirk explaining the, what and why, and he feels the pain that she and other Londoners are experiencing. The sets are very well done and the filming in darker lighting enhanced the scenes of the war, and meetings between Churchill and other officials, and the one with King George VI where they each state their belief and trust in each other. I have watched the film three times now, and still enjoy it as much as the first viewing. My favorite scene is of Churchill finishing his speech in Parliament to the cheers and he starts walking out of the chamber, it was not Oldman I saw, but Churchill. I was eleven when I got to see Churchill's funeral on TV, something I have not forgotten. I highly recommend the film. UPDATE: Just finishing reading some other comments about this film. I do agree with some statements that Churchill was a determined man with his opinions already set in place, would not bow to anyone, whether political opponents or family members, though I am sure that he had some moments, where he thought long and hard on many issues. Some aristocratic/political heads deemed him a traitor to his own aristocratic class. No head of state/country will ever please every citizen, every time in everything. Another reviewer made the comments about how Gary Oldman as Churchill was made to look older than what he really was, so I would have to give that is correct. Churchill still had hair and was a bit chubby but not obese. As to historical accuracy, well, Hollywood films are for the sole purpose of "entertainment" not "educational" value, to which, one would watch a documentary on History Channel. But for purpose of movie entertainment, I still enjoyed the film and Oldman's performance. I have not seen the Albert Finney version, but some reviewers suggest that it is a good one.