Churchill

Over the years, when i have travelled across Europe, i always try to check out historical buildings, or historical monuments. I find it interesting to learn about more about the past, and there is especially one period of time i have always been curious to know more about, World War II. We all have heard stories from this period of history, and all the tragedy and suffering, so many people went through. Of course, Germany will always live with the shame of Adolf Hitler, the most evil man who have walked on this Earth. When i was in Berlin back in 2013, i went with my wife on a round trip, to see different locations in Berlin, when World War II events changed history. It was educational, but at the same time truly horrible, of how Germans treated the Jewish people, and murdered so many of them. It is very important that our younger generation learn about the past, because we can never forget of what happened during these years. Another trip i did was also to London, and i have been there more than once. A city filled with history, where you have much to learn. England have always had some really strong historical figures a long the way, and there are plenty of people we could mention. But let´s focus on one specific man, that most of you know as Winston Churchill. The British Prime Minister between the years of 1940 - 1945, became Prime Minister again during 1951 - 1955. For those of you who have read about Winston Churchill in history books, or seen documentaries on TV, you probably know that he really cared for England, and did a lot of hard work during war to guarantee that Germany would not win. I find his personality fascinating, and he seemed to be a man who knew how to handle complicated situations. We have to remember, back in those days, you needed a man who could make decisions. And Winston seemed to be a man who wanted to act correctly, even if he also felt that he made some mistakes. In the movie industry, there have been films made, based on the life on Winston Churchill. Some of you might have seen The Gathering Storm with legendary actor Albert Finney in the lead role as Winston Churchill. Or, perhaps you have seen a more recent film called Into The Storm with excellent actor Brendan Gleeson in the lead role ? Earlier this year, i was reading about a new film called Churchill, with legendary actor Brian Cox in the lead role. The film never came to cinemas across Sweden during summer, so i got a chance to watch the dvd instead. Is this a really well made historical drama film, or is this a film you probably will forget within a few seconds ?

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ( Brian Cox ) is exhausted by the years of all the wars he have been through. And he awaits the 1944 Normandy landings, which he believes will be a disaster. But if there is one thing he have learned over the years, is that you can never loose hope. With his team during crisis, Winston Churchill is about to see a next chapter in history, where nothing is impossible. But can he handle his personal life, or is his position taking over everything that he once used to have ?

When you see a film, based on a real historical person, you know it can be hard to portrait how the person was in real life. But i have to say, lead actor Brian Cox does a really good performance as Winston Churchill. I would dare to say that he is actually the most powerful character in this film. The scenes where Brian Cox let his temper out, shows that he have really tried to make his portrait of this legendary historical Icon. There is a lot of dialogue throughout the film, so don´t expect to see a lot of action. This is more supposed to be a biographical film, to show us how Winston Churchill was as a person, and how he managed to deal with his complicated life. The film tries to bring us closer to who Churchill was, and how he functioned as the British Prime Minister, and i have to say that the portrait works with the storyline. Australian director Jonathan Teplitzky, who directed the interesting drama film The Railway Man, seems to have taken on this film with passion for the ground material. You do get to see some different sides to Churchill, especially how he was in his personal life, and how he handled personal problems. The alcohol is of course one of the subjects, and the cigars. This is a combination that Churchill was known for, and this film needed to show his lifestyle to make it feel more realistic. Now to some negative points. Some of the dialogues scenes feels a bit drawn out, to fill in the storyline. It would have been more interesting to look deeper into Churchill´s personal demons, instead of hearing a lot of conversations among military forces. Some of the characters don´t really get a chance to deliver as many powerful scenes as Brian Cox do, so he basically carry this film on hiw own. There are a few good acting performances to mention, especially actor Miranda Richardson as Churchill´s wife Clementine. She does give a strong performance, and she also manage to show a strong female portrait that fits great with the film. Churchill is an interesting look into a man´s life, who had to do a lot of hard decisions in his life time. This film give us a taste of how it must have been, walking in his shoes. If you enjoy biographical films, based on true people, then i suggest you watch Churchill on dvd or blu ray. There is actually a new film coming out in November ( in USA ) called Darkest Hour with actor Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill. Until it lands in cinemas, give Brian Cox a chance, and i am sure you will enjoy his version of this legendary historical Icon.

Rating: DDD