Created by Jonathan Teplitzky (the acclaimed director of 2013’s Aussie hit The Railway Man), Churchill is a British historical war film based upon a moment in time of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s life. It is the U. K’s perspective of the untold true story of the 96 hours leading up to D-Day: the day that marked the beginning of the end for the Germans and Hitler himself. Renowned Scottish actor and Olivier Award winner Brian Cox (Braveheart and X-Men 2) steps into the shoes of Britain’s most celebrated leader, delivering a powerhouse performance of subtle genius. Complemented well with a superb supporting cast by his side in the form of Miranda Richardson, John Slattery and James Purefoy, this intimate glimpse into the life of a political icon is as quietly excellent as it is inspiring.
It’s June 1944 and a massive army is secretly assembled on the south coast of Britain as Allied forces wait to re-claim a Nazi-occupied Europe from the hands of the Germans. One man stands in their way: Winston Churchill, an iconic figure that has seen too much slaughter in the name of war. He remains fearful of his Government repeating the disastrous events of 1915, where thousands of young men were cut down on the beaches of Gallipoli.
Exhausted by the long years of war and plagued by depression, he becomes obsessed with fulfilling historical greatness as a way of maintaining his legacy. Setting out to alter the plans made for D-Day, he hopes to avoid further loss of innocent lives, in fear of forever being remembered as the figure who represented unnecessary carnage. A shadow of his former self, who once resisted Hitler’s Blitzkrieg, Churchill faces political ridicule, military interference and deliberate disobedience from the AmericanGeneral and future U.S. President Dwight E. Eisenhower (Slattery), who becomes increasingly frustrated with his attempts to stop the invasion. With only the support of his loyal, yet exasperated wife Clementine (Richardson), Churchill must seek the help of King George VI (Purefoy) in conceiving alternate plans for the infamous landing of Normandy, France before the clock runs out. He who would later go on to be considered the greatest Briton of all time.
Learning the film’s entire script as one long continued scene, instead of memorising lines the conventional way, Cox goes a step beyond by embodying all factors of the late great legendary figure in all his strengths and weaknesses. Opting to gain over twenty-two pounds for the role as opposed to wearing a fat suit, he brings a sense of realism to a character most of us have only ever heard of but never really understood. He shines a light on the man’s insecurities and disadvantages, whilst exploring the notion of the ‘common man’ who is weighed down by years of leading a country and being on duty. Richardson’s portrayal of the brilliant woman behind the man in charge of Britain helps serve as the backbone in examining the vital relationship of a sincere but sometimes volatile marriage. Slattery is a fine addition as the only prominent American ally voicing reasonable concern and opposition, while Purefoy does his best at bringing his own to the same character which saw Colin Firth nab an Oscar in 2010’s The King’s Speech.
Re-creating Britain in the 1940’s is effortlessly achieved with high detailed set design and extremely well-done costumes. Churchill offers more than just a history lesson or rousing speeches of inspiration as the Prime Minister insists on risking his life along with his countrymen. The film offers an interesting look into a dominant historical figure’s first four years in leadership and provides an investigation into why the man is still regarded a herculean player of World War II till this day. Churchill is a movie which gives its audience plenty to learn while still remaining an intelligently crafted entertaining story. Only the first of two Winston Churchill biographical films to be released this year, this one is definitely worth making time for.
