We recently visited Chartwell. What an incredible place. Mostly on account of the location. The house and nearby art studio are amazing. But the landscape and gardens are even more breathtaking.
Anyway, ‘pon our return home, from a week in St Leonards by the Sea, with the visit to Chartwell en-route home, Teresa suggested we watch this film, again.
It’s great.
Compared with the extreme ahistorical travesty that was Churchill, in which Brian Cox portrays a really rather pathetic version of the ‘Great Man’, this is – whilst still inserting some fiction (any is too much, in my view) – much more in line with more traditionally popular ideas of the man.
Gary Oldman is superb. Indeed, the whole cast is terrific. There are some modern intrusions into the film, some of which are along similar lines to some of those in Churchill. But, all things considered, to much less egregious effect.
As ever, I’m interested to learn about the historical accuracy of such things: from the role of secretary Elizabeth Layton, to whether or not Winston actually rode the underground, and as a result was late for/or even absent from a Cabinet meeting, about negotiating a peace to be brokered by Mussolini.
It turns out the real Miss Layton worked with Churchill after the timeframe depicted. And the Underground scene is completely fictitious. I think it’s a great shame allegedly ‘historical’ films like this take these liberties.
Inevitably, many viewers will take the fabricated parts at face value and believe them to be genuine history. And that’s just not right.
Nevertheless, this is a good film. Far better and more watchable – and despite elements of fiction, still more historically faithful – than Churchill. Beautifully shot, well directed, and brilliantly acted, a very engaging film.