![]() It’s the scene where an embattled Churchill makes his decision for definite, and the one that – in terms of the narrative of the film – joins everything to the eventual ending. What throws a further spotlight on the debate is it’s clearly the key moment in the film. Is it right to be so overtly fictional in a film that’s so steeped in history, particularly relatively recent history? And is it the right approach when the scene appears to be taking so many people out of the film altogether? That complaints are not in short supply that it breaks the tone of the film? In terms of getting over the core drama in an economical way, the scene has its purpose. Both have conceded that the scene didn’t happen as posited in the film, with McCarten adding to The Wrap that it’s “a perfect example of how you’re trying to dramatize verifiable events that might have happened outside the time frame of your movie, but which are very, very valuable for the dramatist in showing critical aspects of your story.”Īgain, there’s a point there. Wright and screenwriter Anthony McCarten built on the knowledge that Churchill would sometimes disappear, and the many historical reports that he would go and talk to people around London to get their opinion. The conclusion of the scene feels like a realistic reflection, even if the journey there has been odd. Joe Wright, for his part, has defended the scenes as “a fictionalization of an emotional truth,” and there is a point there. In Darkest Hour, though, it feels like liberties are being overtly taken as you watch it.Ĭonveniently, it seems as though a good demographic cross-section of the UK population has landed in the carriage concerned. In many of those instances, though, the historical liberties are likely to be something you may not have been aware of until after you’ve seen the film (or unless you were forewarned: remember the controversy leading up to the release of U-571 in Britain, where even then-Prime Minister Tony Blair got in on the act?). It’s not quite an endless list, but it sure feels it. Argo, another Best Picture winner, transferred a lot of credit from Canada to the USA. Braveheart took home Oscars, in spite of it being widely known at the time that the timeline of the film was all over the place, and portrayal of historical characters was haphazard. Fairly recently, for instance, we had Patriots Day, the story of the hunt for the Boston marathon bombers, where Mark Wahlberg played a character who was an amalgam of three different real-life individuals. It’s not that cinema doesn’t do this a lot when covering history, playing hard and fast with facts to service the demands of film drama and running times. And in a film that’s retelling a piece of history, that’s a bold move. Plus there are spare seats in the carriage! The scene simply feels made up. ![]() Notwithstanding the simple geography – we’re in Thor: The Dark World territory here, as a single stop tube ride in Darkest Hourthat should take a few minutes goes on for ten. Whether you go for it or not seems to center on whether that construct actually takes you out of the movie. ![]() You sit there thinking,” That couldn’t have happened,” and within seconds, without having to go anywhere near a history book, you can’t help but conclude that it’s a very obvious construct. I liked Darkest Hour, cards on the proverbial table, but I don’t think many people – myself included – hesitated in quickly calling shenanigans when the scene developed. And I do wonder if, ultimately, it fatally undermines the film.įor as the film gets into its final act, Churchill decides to go for a ride on the London Underground. But the way that Darkest Hour presents this involves a leap of faith that it’d be fair to say not everyone is willing to take. We know that the film is leading up to a big movie moment, the kind where he has to stand up and make a decision that changes history. We see Churchill being pushed and prodded by events, the mounting pressures against him from outside and within. The vast majority of Darkest Hour takes place in dank corridors, the dim interiors of Westminster, and cabinet and committee rooms. But most debate centers around what’s known as the tube scene, and that’s where this article gets spoiler-y.
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