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Darkest Hour

kdk December 22, 2017
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Earlier this year, director Christopher Nolan took audiences along for the rescue mission in his first war drama, .nightsandweekends.com/articles/17/NW1700093.php>Dunkirk. Now Joe Wright offers viewers a different perspective on the same rescue mission while examining the early days of a legendary leader in Darkest Hour.



Darkest Hour is set in May of 1940, as the German army continues its march across Europe. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) has been forced out of office for his mishandling of the impending war—and the only acceptable replacement is Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman), an eccentric character who’s known more for his missteps than his triumphs. And as soon as he’s appointed to the office, he finds himself faced with opposition from his party and his war cabinet as he tries to decide whether to negotiate with Hitler or march into war.



High school kids may learn about the great Winston Churchill, who led his country through World War II—but Darkest Hour tells a different story. This isn’t the Churchill of history books. It’s the Churchill who became Prime Minister because his party felt that they didn’t have much of a choice. He’s blunt and abrasive—a demanding boss whose regular work habits would most likely lead to numerous lawsuits today. And his colleagues see him as an utter disaster—a man lacking in judgment.



Of course, that’s part of what makes this biopic so fascinating. It goes behind the scenes, beneath the public persona of the man who gave moving speeches and inspired his country. Here, he lies to the people to give them hope. He makes unpopular decisions and goes against all of his colleagues’ (and the king’s) advice. Yet he somehow gets it right.



At the heart of the film is a captivating performance by a nearly unrecognizable Gary Oldman. Churchill is a distinctive character in his walk, his speech, and his personality, and Oldman fully transforms himself for the part. Admittedly, the story isn’t as action-packed and thrilling as audiences might expect from a biography about Winston Churchill, but it’s an intriguing character study, following him as he comes into power in the middle of a difficult time for his country and makes the decisions that turned him into a celebrated world leader.



Darkest Hour is like a quieter, thoughtful companion piece to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk—one taking place in the middle of the action, the other set in the offices and meeting rooms where leaders called the shots. This one isn’t as explosive, but it’s an interesting look at the discussions and decisions—and the man who became a legend.





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About Post Author

kdk

Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it. Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course. As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com). Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
kdk@nightsandweekends.com
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kdk

Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.

Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.

As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).

Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.

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