A Ray of Light in the Darkest Hour

Bringing to life the fierce bulldog, the prolific orator, the never wavering backbone of a nation during wartime that was Winston Churchill, Gary Oldman has placed himself as the early frontrunner as Lead Actor this Awards season (already having taken home the honour at The Golden Globes). Transforming into the stately politician by way of superlative make-up work and masterful acting, it is as if the man himself has been regenerated, mumbling growl and all.

Before delving into the depths of Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour, I must indulge myself and pass along a few examples of Churchill’s legendary wit. Constantly at odds with fellow politician Lady Astor (the first female Member of Parliament), she targeted him by saying, “if you were my husband, I’d poison your tea”, to which he dryly replied, “Madam, if you were my wife, I’d drink it!”. Another retort finds Astor pointing out that he was drunk, to which he responded, “but I shall be sober in the morning and you, madam, will still be ugly”. This should give you an idea of what to expect from Anthony McCarten’s script – a Churchill-ism if I’ve ever heard one; “would you stop interrupting me while I am interrupting you”. Another one for good measure finds the man in the washroom while one of his aids tells him that he “needs to reply to the Lord Privy Seal”, to which he explains, “I am sealed in the privy, and I can only deal with one shit at a time”.

Taking place over a few weeks in the early years of the war (specifically, May 1940), we first spot Churchill after he strikes a match to light one of his beloved cigars. Surrounded by encroaching darkness, the match is symbolic of the hopeful spark that he is to Britain and the rest of the world as Europe quickly falls under the supreme power of Adolf Hitler and the German army.

With current Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) losing the confidence of the Opposition Party (his appeasement of Hitler and visible weakness not the right image for wartime leadership), the only man for the job is Churchill – much to the chagrin of Chamberlain, fellow politician Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane – Game of Thrones) and King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). . . as all three despise his unpredictability and dangerous political outlook.

Forming a War Council comprised of the two above mentioned politicians as well as several other individuals, he quickly learns that his aggressive perspective towards the enemy is at odds with nearly every one of his advisors, who are looking for a way to broker peace (instead of leading another generation of boys into a crippling conflict much like World War 1).

Depicting the lonesome days and long nights of the job (Churchill rarely sleeps), he spends more time with his typist secretary Elizabeth Layton (Lily James – Baby Driver) than with his longsuffering wife Clemmie (Kristin Scott Thomas). Stranded on a perch and being circled by the enemy as well as his political adversaries, his posh upbringing has similarly ostracized him from the British people. . . never has he learned how to use The Underground, or boil an egg, for that matter.

Add in that three hundred thousand British troops are stranded in Dunkirk, France – the German infantry mere days away from flattening them, and Churchill really is in a precarious predicament. Will he be able to keep a stiff upper lip and come up with a solution to his increasing list of issues?

The pages of history come to vivid life by way of Wright’s deft direction and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel’s (Amélie) moody lighting. The camera moves in such a fluid way (be it sequences that rotate or pan between the politicians, or tracking shots of people walking on the street), that the era feels alive, while sharp transitions and editing convey oh-so-much – as Churchill delivers his first radio speech to the public, an overhead sequence moves from intense bombing in France until the landscape transforms into a dead soldier, eye crimson with blood – then, in an instant, we find ourselves in the red lit room along with Churchill once more. Death, destruction, danger and fear seep into our consciousness, even as the Prime Minister attempts to allay fears with his powerful words. As mentioned above, the overhead shot is used often (sometimes panning up), a motif that reminds us of the dangers found in the sky at this time. . . while several characters also look to the skies, be it due to troubling circumstances, searching for divine answers, or some other reason. As for cinematography, darkness and light play an integral part – Parliament, the King’s residence, and several other rooms are etched with sun or artificial light, while shadows set the sombre tone of wartime.

With outstanding performances (led by the magnificent Gary Oldman) and a powerful message of standing up, even in the face of overwhelming odds (and not giving into peer pressure) – best exemplified in a scene in which Churchill looks for answers amongst the people, Darkest Hour is a sharply crafted period piece. With an undercurrent of that supreme wit, there are a surprising amount of chuckles as well, cutting through the grave subject matter. So, don’t wave your white hankie in surrender, you’ll approve of this impassioned motion picture.