Darkest Hour: The Movie. A Review. A Must-See.

by Angela K. Durden
Citizen Journalist. Business writer, novelist, songwriter, and technology inventor protecting creator's copyrights. 

Those who don't know history are bound to repeat it. Those who do know history are bound to watch helplessly as those who don't know it, repeat it. But those who do know history know that, bound as they are to watch, they will be called in to fix it.

And why is that? I'll tell you. It's because of the differing skill sets.

The former are lovers, not fighters. Their sensibilities are upset when surrounded by problems. They want problems to go away, and they think that getting along and giving love will magically make that happen. In many instances, they are right.

But they are wrong when it comes to tyrants and bullies and, damn it, they can't tell the difference between the challenges regular people bring and the evil of the Evil. Next thing you know, they are in thrall to vibrant personalities who promise them the moon, only to find themselves tortured, killed, or worse — having to live under tyrannies they could never imagine. The former never learn that lesson.

And that's okay because we want the love they have to give.

The latter, they see it coming. They will give the evil person enough rope to hang themselves, that is, they will allow them to prove themselves evil, but when the time comes for action those who know history will meet  the forces of evil with the forces of good.

Those who know history are willing to make the tough decisions and take the unpopular road. They know these tough and unpopular actions will make them look bad to the lovers and givers. But they do it anyway because it must be done. Yes, they often doubt themselves, even seem to waiver, but they don't let that doubt lead them into catatonic inaction.

Those who know history are willing to give the finger to dictators. Well, this is what happened in World War II with Churchill and Hitler. Darkest Hour does a fine job of showing exactly what I wrote above.

My favorite scene is when Churchill, thinking he's giving a V for Victory, does this instead:

Screensnip from the movie trailer below. 

Winston is handed a big problem, and then is being forced to enter into a negotiated peace with Hitler. He is accused of being a war monger because he won't do it. He doubts himself, but not for long. The scene on the Tube where he takes the temperature of the people is brilliant.

Gary Oldman first caught my attention in Léon: The Professional, then later in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in which he was brilliant and in which I thought he would not be able to top himself.

Ladies and gentlemen, Oldman has topped himself.

It is important to remember that we are living in a time when the forces of good are necessarily doing what must be done. I'm doing my part where I stand: I research. I write.

This movie reminded me of how tough that fight is going to get.