Film Review: Darkest Hour (2017)
Joe Wright owes much of his reputation as one of today’s foremost British filmmakers to his 2007 film Atonement, which is now less remembered for the role of his muse Keira Knightley and more for the exceptionally striking scene depicting the chaos on the beaches of Dunkirk during the famous Allied evacuation at the start of the Second World War. Wright’s film, however, is no longer the most renowned depiction of these events, largely thanks to Dunkirk, a spectacular and ambitious film directed a decade later by his far more successful and popular colleague Christopher Nolan. That film represented one of Nolan’s more ambitious attempts to secure the long-desired golden statuettes for himself. Wright, whose filmography is largely built on such Oscar-baiting films, has by circumstance directed a new such attempt in the form of a film tackling the same subject, albeit with a somewhat smaller budget and from a rather different perspective.
While Dunkirk portrayed these events through the eyes of ordinary, anonymous British soldiers, Darkest Hour does so from the perspective of the figure who, in a 2002 BBC poll, was named the greatest Briton of all time. The plot begins on 9 May 1940, when Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman), a Conservative politician renowned for an exceptionally long, tumultuous, and colourful yet generally not particularly successful career, is on the verge of realising his lifelong dream by becoming Prime Minister and leading the United Kingdom and the British Empire. The outgoing Prime Minister and Conservative leader Neville Chamberlain (Roland Pickup), known for his policy of appeasement towards Hitler and Nazi Germany, is held responsible for simultaneously leading Britain into war while leaving it inadequately prepared—a failure evident in the Allies’ disastrous attempt to halt the German invasion of Norway—and has consequently lost parliamentary support. Although Chamberlain would have preferred to see Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane), who shared his views, succeed him, he is compelled under pressure from opposition Labour members to propose Churchill as the head of a grand coalition government as a compromise solution.
History, however, ensured that Churchill would achieve his lifelong ambition at the worst possible moment, for the following day, upon assuming office, the Germans—who had long observed the British and French, despite their superiority in manpower and tanks, doing nothing but sitting behind the Maginot Line—launched an offensive that would be remembered as the most brilliantly executed military operation of the Second World War. Just three days after drawing the bulk of British and French forces into neutral Belgium and the Netherlands with their attack, they executed a lightning tank advance through the supposedly impassable Ardennes forests, breaking through the weakly defended French positions along the River Meuse and emerging behind Allied lines. Amidst the widespread chaos and disarray, France appears likely to capitulate soon, while the retreating British Expeditionary Force, making for the coast of the English Channel, faces total annihilation. In such circumstances, with Britain seemingly on the brink of losing its army, allies, and facing invasion by the hitherto undefeated Nazi war machine, Lord Halifax proposes an ‘elegant’ solution by accepting the offer of Hitler’s ally—and then still neutral—Italy to mediate a peace settlement that would grant the Nazis dominion over Europe. Churchill confronts the reality that many of his ministers agree this would be the least worst of all options in the current situation, as well as his own doubts, and must summon the last vestiges of moral fortitude, oratorical and political skill to persuade himself, his government, and the nation to continue what appears to be a hopeless war.
Darkest Hour is frequently compared to Lincoln, the biographical film with which Spielberg attempted five years prior to clinch another Oscar. Certain similarities undoubtedly exist, primarily in that the narrative unfolds during an epic conflict whose nature and outcome are deemed favourable, the protagonist being an almost unquestionable national icon, and the film delving into political machinations behind the scenes—matters generally uninteresting to filmmakers yet inherently fascinating. Darkest Hour met the same fate as Lincoln in this regard: Wright lost the battle for Best Picture but found solace in at least one winning campaign, namely the Oscar for Best Actor. This was undoubtedly thanks to Gary Oldman, the actor who had built a reputation as one of the foremost names among the British acting fraternity so readily employed by Hollywood. Here, he faces the demanding yet ungrateful task of portraying one of the most frequently depicted figures in British—and not only British—docudramas and historical dramas, attempting to surpass older, often-praised colleagues while simultaneously embodying an authentic Churchill and offering the public something fresh. Oldman exerts exceptional effort, aided significantly by an extraordinarily high-quality latex prosthetic mask, convincingly reconstructing both the Churchill of newsreels and the Churchill described by those closest to him—a man whose political foresight, literary and oratorical talent coexisted with military failures, an eccentric lifestyle, out-there ideas, bouts of depression, and unhealthy habits involving tobacco and enormous quantities of alcohol. Oldman’s performance is truly compelling, and the Oscar is entirely justified in his case.
However, Oldman alone cannot carry the film. A screenplay capable of delivering drama worthy of such a role is still essential. Fortunately, May 1940 was the most dramatic moment in British, one might say world, history, and in comparison to the burden on Churchill’s shoulders, the troubles afflicting the protagonist of the thematically and temporospatially close Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech appear trivial. The screenplay by Anthony McCarten, known for the not particularly impressive biographical film The Theory of Everything, largely succeeds in balancing historical authenticity, efforts to dramatise cabinet discussions, and the need to efficiently and economically provide historical context for an audience unfamiliar with the period. Darkest Hour can also be praised for adding a touch of typically British humour, which somehow functions even within the context of events that, at first glance, seem least suited to it.
Wright, of course, proves immensely helpful throughout, demonstrating a penchant for ‘showy’ framing while also exhibiting exceptional talent in incorporating all this within a relatively modest budget. Darkest Hour unfolds predominantly in interiors; the war, raging on the distant yet so proximate Continent, is reconstructed through only a few brief but striking scenes. Darkest Hour could thus be considered one of the finest achievements of Wright’s career. Assuming one overlooks the occasionally fatal Spielberg-esque lurch into pathos typical of this genre, occurring towards the end when Churchill’s character seeks inner strength to make the right decision and finds it among ordinary people—specifically passengers in a London Underground carriage. This scene feels forced and overly ‘Hollywood,’ particularly after the inclusion of a Black passenger among the commuters. This detail, however, should be understood within the context of Oscar politics—Wright’s attempt to avoid accusations of alleged racism that his rival Nolan faced due to all major characters in Dunkirk being white males. All things considered, Darkest Hour stands as one of the more accomplished—and, given certain rather disconcerting trends in today’s world, timely—portrayals of a historical period that, like the film itself, had both dark and bright moments.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in the original Croatian version was posted here.)
Blog in Croatian https://draxblog.com
Blog in English https://draxreview.wordpress.com/
InLeo blog https://inleo.io/@drax.leo
LeoDex: https://leodex.io/?ref=drax
Hiveonboard: https://hiveonboard.com?ref=drax
InLeo: https://inleo.io/signup?referral=drax.leo
Rising Star game: https://www.risingstargame.com?referrer=drax
1Inch: https://1inch.exchange/#/r/0x83823d8CCB74F828148258BB4457642124b1328e
BTC donations: 1EWxiMiP6iiG9rger3NuUSd6HByaxQWafG
ETH donations: 0xB305F144323b99e6f8b1d66f5D7DE78B498C32A7
BCH donations: qpvxw0jax79lhmvlgcldkzpqanf03r9cjv8y6gtmk9