In the 2002 BBC poll ranking the 100 greatest Britons, one man beat out the likes of Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, and, really, every other Briton ever. The gentleman atop that list was the incredibly-quotable, cigar-inhaling Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. While he is remembered as a wildly-popular leader who refused to yield to one of history’s greatest villains, Churchill’s journey to becoming the greatest Briton began in a crucible of public confusion and political subversion, all while the threat of a Nazi invasion loomed. It’s an incredible story of triumph that, come this November, will hit the big screen in the film “Darkest Hour.”
The movie is directed by Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Anna Karenina”) and written by Anthony McCarten (“The Theory of Everything”). Gary Oldman, who undergoes an almost unrecognizable transformation in order to depict Churchill, stars in the film and is joined by Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, and Ben Mendelsohn. Here is the official synopsis:
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A thrilling and inspiring true story begins on the eve of World War II as, within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill (Academy Award-nominee Gary Oldman) must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, and with an unprepared public, a skeptical King, and his own party plotting against him, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history.
“Darkest Hour” is set for release on November 22, which puts it smack-dab in the middle of Oscar season. Definitely keep an eye out for this one.
