In movie: Churchill

Max Hastings, Anthony McCarten

These are the 4 most recent movies on Churchill. In time order of events portrayed, the movies are:

1) The Gathering Storm (BBC-HBO, 2002). The movie covers the period 1934 to 1939, his wilderness years. Excellent movie.

2) Darkest Hour (2017). It covers the momentous events in May 1940 from the resignation of Neville Chamberlain to the election of Churchill as PM ending with the sending of ships to Dunkirk on 26 May 1940. Excellent movie. I recommend reading the slim but exquisite book by the screenwriter prior to watching for context as each dialogue in the movie is pregnant with historical background.

3) Churchill (2017). This movie has been criticised for historical errors by its screenwriter Alex von Tunzelmann (she wrote the wonderful Indian Summer on the events leading to the independence of India). The movie portrays Churchill in June 1944 leading to the hours up to D-Day. The complaints, inter -alia are that the movie portrayed, wrongly, that Churchill was against Operation Overlord. This is a subject of some controversy. The source was Churchill ‘s enigmatic statement that he made during the great dress rehearsal for Overlord-

I am hardening toward this enterprise. I repeat, I am now hardening toward this enterprise.
(see p 82, 87 Decision in Normandy by Carlo D’Este, 1983 and p 247 Sand and Steel A new history of D-Day by Peter Caddick-Adams, 2019).

This movie is worth watching.

4) Into the Storm (2009). This is a sequel to The Gathering Storm. It covers 1940 to 1945 to the time he was voted out of office. Excellent movie.

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