The Gathering Storm
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Albert Finney, Jim Broadbent, Lena Headey, Linus Roache, Vanessa RedgraveBrand: Hbo Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-02-04
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Movie Reviews of The Gathering Storm
Movie Review: All Brave Men
Summary: 5 Stars
The Wall Street Journal stated: "So satisfying, so superb, so rich on so many levels." I cannot agree more. The Gathering Storm was a winner of three emmys (outstanding movie, lead actor (Albert Finney) and for writing). On every level, it was exceptional. The tension and the quality of the relationship between the Churchills was captured so well in the chemistry that was shown in the acting of Finney and Redgrave. Some have said that Finney was more Churchill than Churchill.
What I loved about this film was the study of Winston as the family man, the husband, the father, the friend, the boss, the writer, the painter, the statesmen. Churchill was all of these things but what struck me most about this work was that we discovered the man with his deep emotions, self doubts and moods.
Jim Broadbent was super as Desmond Morton who was a British military officer and government official. He played a role in organizing a response to appeasement of German under Hitler during the period prior to World War II. He with Ralph Wigram provided intelligence information about German re-armament to Winston Churchill when Churchill was out of power. Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940 and he made Morton his Personal Assistant. They had been extremely close friends. Ralph Wigram was played by Linus Roche and he was a British official in the Foreign Office. In the work of Churchill (Second World War) Churchill called him one of the greatest unsung heroes; in fact he was much more than that; Wigram was tormented in his role of passing information to Churchill in order to gain the attention of Baldwin and others who had other appeasement and free trade agreements on their mind versus preparing England for what was to come unfortunately.
Stanley Baldwin was played aptly by Derek Jacobi and Wigram's superior Sir Robert Vansittart was played solidly by Tom Wilkerson. We hear so much about the statesman and about his role of prime minister but we seldom get such a personal view of the man and his love of Chartwell and his great admiration by his staff and family. All of this was captured on film with this work.
It is hard to believe that prior to World War II that so many in England had stuck their head in the sand. Despite the rumors and stories about what was happening to the Jewish people and about German sterilization plans etc., 90% of the English people still believed in international disarmament. It could very well have been that families were so upset with the first world war that the young boys who were born during that great war were now old enough to fight in this one; it is certain that the people wanted to avoid a war at all costs and this was admirable in them and in their Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. But at the very least, thanks to quite a few brave men including Wigram; the awareness level was raised soon enough before it was too late.
There is a wonderful audio discussion with the producer and writer discussing various background aspects of some of the major scenes which was wonderful; but what I liked best was the superb acting performed by everyone and this last quote by Churchill about the performance of the English people could easily have been said about every contributor and actor in this great film.
"In our long History, We have never seen, A greater day than this. Everyone, man or woman, has done their best."
- Winston Churchill 8 May 1945
Highly Recommended: A
Bentley 2008
The Gathering Storm
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