WINSTON CHURCHILL

For reasons I cannot figure out, last year was The Cinematic Year Of Churchill. Sir Winston died in 1965 (52 years ago) at the age of 90. He was universally credited with getting Britain through World War II. The Brits richly rewarded him for this by voting him out in 1945. Clement Attlee and the Labour Party replaced him. He did serve another term later. Anyway, there were not one, not two, but three movies about Churchill in 2017. And there was yet another in 2016. Two of last year’s films were nominated for Best Picture Oscar. 
I’ll start with Darkest Hour (2017) which covers the period just before Britain went all in against the Germans. Gary Oldman was deservedly nominated for Best Actor. Though he doesn’t look all that much like Sir Winston, he has the speech and mannerisms down pat. The stirring speech in Parliament that turned the tide of public opinion is a real patriotic rouser. “We will fight them on the beaches, ...We will never surrender”. Wow! This is one of the Best Picture nominees.
The other nominee is Dunkirk (2017). Almost the entire British army was backed up against the English Channel at a French coastal town. It will always be a mystery why the Nazis didn’t simply obliterate them. But they didn’t. And Churchill famously got the Navy and the ordinary British citizens with boats to mobilize an unbelievable rescue mission. Sir Winston is a decidedly minor character, however. Other than Kenneth Branagh, as a British officer on the beach, and Mark Rylance, as the skipper of a civilian rescue boat, you won’t recognize anyone else. It is a thrilling ride and one of the great stories of British history. 
The third film from last year is simply Churchill (2017). Its time frame is much later in the war. Mark Cox plays Churchill in this one, and it deals with the period leading up to the Normandy invasion. Sir Winston was dead set against the allied invasion and was quick to say so. Regardless of the success of the mission, he felt the cost in casualties was too high. John Slattery plays General Eisenhower who listens but disregards Churchill’s objections and the attack goes forward. Quite an interesting chunk of history which seems to be accurate. 
From one year back we have Churchill’s Secret (2016). Michael Gambon plays the great man in this made-for-TV movie. In 1953, after his election to a second term as prime minister, Sir Winston suffered a major stroke. This was carefully kept from the public. I doubt that this would be possible today. Anyway, he is nursed back to health and continues as PM. He would live another 12 years after this. 
Into The Storm (2008) features Brendan Gleeson as Churchill. In this one the war is over and he is on holiday in France. Through a series of flashbacks, he relives his grandest moments as Prime Minister during the World War II. This is a sequel, of sorts, to The Gathering Storm (2002) which covers the period just before and after Dunkirk.
And finally, if you would like to know the early history of this iconic figure, there is Young Winston (1972). He is portrayed by virtually unknown Simon Ward. This is the story of Churchill’s childhood and his time as a war correspondent during the Boer War. 
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.