Darkest Hour, the Oscar-winning war drama hailed by viewers as a 'masterpiece' and 'one of the greatest war films of all time', airs on BBC One tonight at 8pm. The 2017 British film, directed by Joe Wright with a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, follows Winston Churchill during the May 1940 war cabinet crisis.
Plot and critical acclaim
The official plot states: "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."
Critics have praised the film, with one writing: "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 reviewer said: "From the 4-star lead performance from Oldman to the expert direction from Joe Wright, Darkest Hour is a rousing success."
Oldman's transformation
Gary Oldman's portrayal of Churchill has drawn particular attention, with the actor rendered unrecognisable through heavy makeup and prosthetics. In an interview with 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."
He added: "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."
Audience reaction
Viewers have been equally captivated. One wrote 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 fan said: "It gets better each time I view it. Will go down as one of the greatest war films of all time."
Darkest Hour stars Oldman alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, and Ben Mendelsohn. The film is also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
