Darkest Hour, the 2017 British war drama starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, airs on BBC One tonight at 8pm. Audiences have hailed it a 'masterpiece' and 'one of the greatest war films of all time'.
Plot and acclaim
Directed by Joe Wright with a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, the film chronicles Churchill's time as Prime Minister during the Second World War, focusing on the May 1940 war cabinet crisis.
The official synopsis reads: "The fate of Western Europe hangs on Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II. The newly appointed British prime minister must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler or fight on against incredible odds. During the next four weeks in 1940, Churchill cements his legacy as his courageous decisions and leadership help change the course of world history."
Oldman's transformation
Oldman's portrayal has drawn the most attention, with the actor becoming virtually unrecognisable through extensive makeup and prosthetics. Speaking to ABC News, Oldman said: "It took three hours, 15 minutes and then getting into the costume and everything, it was just under four hours, 48 days consecutively.
"And then I would be dressed as Winston by the time the director arrived and the other actors for rehearsal. So it was very odd. They did not see me as Gary for three months for the entire shooting because I was always in my makeup."
Critical and audience response
Critics have praised the film, with one declaring: "It's an amazing performance: the only star turn I've seen in which a famous actor visible in nearly every scene would be unrecognisable if we didn't know his name already." Another said: "From the 4-star lead performance from Oldman to the expert direction from Joe Wright, Darkest Hour is a rousing success."
One viewer posted on Rotten Tomatoes: "Brilliant! Gary Oldman like you have never seen him before, absolutely stunning in his portrayal of Winston Churchill. Very intelligently written and brought to screen." Another added: "It gets better each time I view it. Will go down as one of the greatest war films of all time."
Darkest Hour is also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
