Darkest Hour feels like an exact look in on how Winston Churchill took the war back from the Germans. This is a movie that could be show in history classes to show the students this integral moment in history.
When the enemy comes close to home what do you do? Darkest Hour delves into this deeply as Winston Churchill is faced with the decision regarding whether or not he should concede to Hitler. A brilliant performance done by Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill makes the viewer feel as if they are looking into a flashback from the past. Mesmerizing set pieces and hard hitting dialogue reinforce the historical backstory. Due to the movie being dialogue heavy there was moments that the movies seemed to be slow when it comes to the pacing but nonetheless did not distract from the story as a whole.
Gary Oldman’s performance as Winston Churchill was stellar. You felt as if you were watching Winston Church himself undergo this terrible dilemma as Prime Minister. Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill has mannerisms and ways of speaking throughout the movie that make it seem that this is how Winston actually acted.
The set pieces in this movie are incredible. A scene that specifically stands out is when they used the natural lighting in the room to help reinforce a plot point. Every single set piece helped establish the mood and it felt like it really contributed to the story.
The dialogue was the best part of this movie. Winston Churchill, being the public speaker that he was, relied on dialogue to elaborate on his point. The way Gary Oldman delivers the address for Winston Churchill becoming prime minister is extremely believable. The diction, tone, and deliverance of this speech is a great homage to Churchill himself.
My only dilemma is that since the movie is filled with so much hard hitting dialogue, you find yourself getting a little jaded near the middle of the movie. Everything Churchill says in the movie is meaningful and plot related but it is a lot. I found myself not staying focused midway but the resolution picked up on the pacing.
Another negative, and I am not sure whether or not to call it a negative because its historically accurate, but Winston Churchill was very hard to understand in some scenes. About a quarter of the way through I felt the need to turn on subtitles. Now I am not sure on whether or not this should be a negative because it is historically accurate. To really comprehend on what is going on I do feel like subtitles need to be turned on.
Darkest Hour feels like an exact look in on how Winston Churchill took the war back from the Germans. Darkest Hour is suspenseful and gritty and it really personifies a historical figure. The accompaniment of excellent set pieces and intense dialogue only strengthen the movie. This is a movie that could be show in history classes to show the students this integral moment in history.
