Written by: Anthony McCarten
Starring: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas
It's a neat coincidence that in 2017 two films that went on the be Best Picture nominees were released that covered England's involvement in the Dunkirk evacuation, with one right in the thick of things yet impersonal and the other far removed from the conflict but focusing on a single man.
*
Darkest Hour covers some of the early days of World War II under Winston Churchill (Oldman). We see the state of the politics in England that led to Churchill's appointment, the mess of conflicts he has to deal with on a global scale, as well as his personal struggles with his ability to be what his nation needs him to be and his disconnect with the common people.
The film works entirely because of how great Oldman is in his transformation in to Churchill. He mimics Churchill's image, character and mannerisms incredibly well, and portrays him in a way that is ultimately humanising. It's easy to see where an overemphasis of these attributes could have turned the performance in to a caricature, but Oldman is restrained in his use of them, never overdoing in, and finding the perfect middle ground in expressing Churchill's imperfections.
The rest of the film ends up working (sometimes only somewhat) by way of building up Oldman's performance. The framing and movement in many scenes work to strengthen Churchill's performance by reacting to him or isolating him, creating this visage of the lone bright spot to hold back the night, beset on all sides and fighting the doubt within. It's a little trite, and lacks a lot of energy, and plays in to more of the image of Churchill than the man, but on a technical level it works exactly as the film intends, and is made worthwhile by Oldman's work.
Credit is due the make-up artists that help bring Oldman's performance to life. Their work makes the transformation literally seamless; there's even a scene in which the camera zooms in close on Churchill's profile, bringing the audience to within an inch of his face, and there's simply nothing to suggest that what's there is anything but real, it's truly some excellent work that helps reinforce Oldman's performance.
The Short Version: Darkest Hour is good only by virtue of Oldman's outstanding performance, becoming Churchill in a way that captures a character without it being a complete caricature; an icon of a man, but a man nonetheless. The film plays to some of the performance's strengths by dramatising the mystique around the character of Churchill, depicting him front and centre and alone in a dark world that needs a wartime saviour.
Rating: 7/10
Published January 31st, 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment