Considered one of the most successful and popular politicians of all times, Sir Winston Churchill held fast the British Isles during the Nazi onslaught beginning in 1939. The current movie unfortunately skips this era where Churchill molded the image of the “V sign,” index and middle finger, as a symbol of defiance.
Instead we find the aged and physically feeble Churchill as prime minister while the Allies prepare for the June 6, 1944 expedition to liberate Europe. He muses that the current leaders are inexperienced; that he alone has seen and been in battle; that the current multipoint assault plan is a path to disaster. He is haunted by his own strategic debacle of the unsuccessful attack at Gallipoli, Turkey in World War I, which is given only a fleeting reference in the film.
The climax of the film is where King George calls Churchill and haltingly tells him that he is to stick to building civilian morale and not interfere with the military invasion plans of Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery.
“Churchill” is a great snippet of history well told. It is currently showing at the Rialto Theater in The Villages. It gets my recommendation, especially for those who lived through the World War II years.
Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com