The Gathering Storm
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Movie Reviews of The Gathering Storm
Movie Review: Not so much a story as a portrait of Churchill
Summary: 4 Stars
Albert Finney does a remarkable thing starring in this film as Winston Churchill. With no more than the proper wardrobe and a Romeo and Juliet cigar, he transforms himself into everyone's vision of the legendary stateman. He well deserved the Emmy for best performance, and may well have won the Oscar had this been a theatrical release. The entire cast is top-notch: I especially liked seeing Sir Derek Jacobi as Baldwin, and Vanessa Redgrave is a pleasure as usual. In addition, the cinematography is fantastic - the production values rival any Hollywood theatrical release. HBO is rightfully becoming the leader in drama.The plot loosely follows the details of Churchill's political life (and that of Britain's) in the '30's. I especially liked the portrayal early in the film of Churchill defending the crackdown on Gandhi and against Indian independence. At that time, Churchill was a solution in search of a problem, and he basically lashed out at anything that altered the status quo or affected the Empire. But when Hitler came to power, and Germany started re-arming, Churchill came to life. He was the most vocal of Britain's appeasement critics and started arming himself for the battle he knew was coming. This was Churchill at his best - a lone voice crying in the wilderness, but with a message that wouldn't go away and one that more and more people started listening to. The film ends with the declaration of war in September '39 and Churchill's appointment to cabinet (as First Lord of the Admiralty).
However, the plot is incidental. This film is mostly a portrait of Churchill the man. We see him ranting in the House of Commons, lambasting his staff, tyranising his family, and coercing staff at the foreign office into giving him access to restricted material. This is the Churchill everyone knows, and it's nothing new. What this film adds is Churchill barking (literally - like a dog) at him wife, playing with his youngest daughter, and absentmindedly forgetting to wear clothes in the presence of his secretaries. All of these character traits are well documented in his biographies, but are rarely seen on screen, and it's this fine performance of all aspects of Churchill that makes the film so worthwhile.
The film is prone to sentimentality. It is prone to gloss over some events (like Chamberlain becoming PM). However, I was pleasantly surprised by the details it does include - the average North American TV viewer may not follow every reference in the film, but it never drags down in such details and they never detract from the main purpose of the piece - it's portrayal of Churchill, the man.
Movie Review: Close -- Almost The Whole Cigar
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a fairly good reflection of William Manchester's "Alone," the second (and, unfortunately, final) volume of his Churchill bio series. Winston's daily life was represented fairly well -- rising late, sleeping blindfolded, traipsing around in his robe, being attended by servants, throwing little fits over personal details. I would have liked to have seen more information surrounding the meals hosted (or rather, conducted) at Chartwell, when guests would dine lavishly through the evening and listen to Churchill opine or, sometimes, debate and discuss. These exercises, anointed with alcohol to lesser or sometimes greater degree, fueled Winson's all-night writing sessions that ensued after guests departed.Additional portrayal of those writing habits also would have been interesting. At one point in the film, Winston railed that he was working 20 hours per day to keep the family afloat (he had no ability whatever for money management), but it was not clear that Winston's writing was bearing the brunt of that support, that the family lived from magazine article to newspaper editorial to book, scraping by. Churchill accordingly had to write like a maniac, which gave rise to what most would consider maltreatment of servants (we do see him admonish his manservant at one point, "But I am a GREAT man!" -- which indeed did occur, and which indeed Churchill was). It is obvious in the film that the servants don't take umbrage to this treatment, perhaps understanding that they are an integral part of a historically significant phenomenon and literary giant.
Additionally, more exposure to Winston's House of Commons speeches would have been interesting. We did see (on just one occasion) that he carefully choreographed his chambers speeches ("pause for effect, look of doom" etc), but we were not treated to very much of that oratory. Finney did a grand job portraying it (including the intermittent, slight lisp). Why was there not more?
Manchester's books were sometimes overly detailed; this film was sometimes overly sparse. Together they build in the mind a fine portrait of a great man.
Movie Review: A dynamic portait of a great leader.
Summary: 4 Stars
The greatness of Churchill's leadership was that he could take any of the most adverse conditions he found himself in and turn that around and overcome these through intelligence, tenacity, and an ability to endure great hardship while never letting the sight of victory out of his mind. Albert Finney has turned in a remarkable performance as this great leader and has shown from start to finish the unvarnished character, warts and all, of a man driven to protect his country at all costs. The film predates WWII by showing Churchill during his worst time politcally as a member of parliament and his rise back to power. His struggles during this time prepare him to meet the challenge of war later. The focus of the film is a mirror of our own time and seeks to warn us of dictators who show us diplomacy but have intentions of conquest and how we as free peoples must be ready to meet the challenge. Finney's performance carries us through the different challenges of his political and personal life and show Churchill to be just such an enduring leader. Facing almost certain political oblivion he fights back to regain his power within the government and protect his country. Finney's performance is well crafted with many moments of Churchill at his best and at his not so best. Specifically when he is debating the members of parliament on the coming German threat and more intimately when he is discussing his patriotism to his wife Clementine he is virtually indistinguishable. His faults are displayed plainly and without heavy handedness so as to make the audience part of the room. Notably his dictation to his secretary when he momentarily forgets she's there and starts to change his pants and then is embarressed as she reminds him of her presence. His displays of depression which were real and Churchill's attempts to ward them off with painting and bricklaying. Altogether this is a very good film for anyone wishing to view the innerworkings of one of the greatest leaders of all time. I highly recommend this and the biography by Churchill's official biographer Martin Gilbert Churchill:A Life.Movie Review: A plausible and moving portrait of Churchill before the war
Summary: 4 Stars
This film, featuring a bravo performance by Albert Finney as Winston Churchill, absolutely captures the essence of the man in all his complexity--his giant ego, his love of country, and his unwavering determination to alert Britain to the rising danger of Nazi Germany. The film does not whitewash Churchill's imperfections, including his sometime inability to work with colleagues, and the fact that living with Churchill was not always a bed of roses for his family. Albert Finney absolutely absorbs the role of Churchill and "becomes" the man. This is a fine film deriving from this superb performance by Finney.Why only 4 stars? Because the movie skips the period in which I was most interested--most of the year just prior to Hitler's invasion of Poland and the machinations and appeasement by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Perhaps it was felt that British viewers are so familiar with this period that there was no point in including it. However, American viewers and I dare say those from most other countries would have benefited from and enjoyed seeing Churchill triumph over the utter failure of Chamberlain's policy of appeasement as Churchill assumed power in what had to be Britain's darkest days ever. This was perhaps the most dramatic political event ever, and for this film to omit it in what purported to be a film about "The Gathering Storm" was in my opinion unforgivable, and this is why I deprive the film of that fifth star.
Despite this flaw, anyone interested in the life of one of the Twentieth Century's greatest leaders will want to see this superb film.
Movie Review: Wonderful production...frustrating script
Summary: 4 Stars
I watched this on the heels of "Churchill: The Wilderness Years" (TWY), so most of my review should be seen in that context.
Finney is superb as is the rest of the cast, and the production is, as expected, leaps and bounds above the made-for-BBC "TWY."
My only gripe is with the choices made in the script. A surprising amount of time is dedicated to the tragic side story of Ralph Wigram that not nearly enough time is paid to the other historical figures and events. I wish the film had been at least 2 hours, perhaps then the full story could have been fleshed out a bit more.
As it stands, Wintson shares the stage with Wigram in a rather brief sketch. While tragic and perhaps a compelling story, Wigram was a marginal figure at best if you read the biographies.
Would that these actors and production could have been brought to "TWY."
I do appreciate the earthiness with which Churchill is presented. I found the nudity and profanity to be very much "in character" for him. I also felt this production did a better job of presenting exactly how much Winston had been marginalized during the Baldwin government, but again it is just hinted at -- not enough time is given.
Winnie is also more clearly humanized with more emotion, fear, insecurity and whimsy than in "TWY," including his painting, so in that regard this production colourizes, as it were, the drabber portraits.
A great addition to the Churchill opus, but in the end is more supplemental than comprehensive.