The Darkest Hour is a Dramatic History film, released in 2017, which explores the story of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, at the precipice of World War II, as he faces one of the most turbulent trials: rallying his nation to fight for the freedom against Hitler and his Nazi Germany Aggression.
During his time, Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from1940-1945, and then again elected into office in 1951-1955. The Darkest Hour focuses on the duration of the 10th of May 1940, to the 30th of May 1940. Throughout this time, the most major key events the movie delves into was the 10th of May, with Churchill being inducted into office, while Germany invades Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, 16th of May 1940, with the battle of France commencing and French and British soldiers capitulating to the coast of Dunkirk, and finally the 25th of May 1940, the successful evacuation of 338,000 troops being saved, 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops. But comparing this to history, how accurately is this information represented in the movie?
In this assessment, I studied and analysed the posed question;
How accurate is the movie The Darkest Hour (2017) in its portrayal of Winston Churchill’s response to Nazi Germany’s aggression in Europe from 10-30 May 1940?
After conducting research and delving into the history of Britain’s World War 2 I found the answer that:
While the movie Darkest Hour supplies additional entertaining fiction, the representation of Winston Churchill’s response to Nazi Germany’s aggression is accurate in terms of Churchill’s advancements and decisions, his public support, and the perception of his emotional response in the public eye.
Firstly, the movie is mostly accurate in its representation of Winston Churchill’s advancements and decisions in the war as Prime Minister of Britain, defying his first order and following his better judgement.
This is supported by evidence from Operation Dynamo.
According to the Darkest Hour, 26th May 1940 was the day Operation Dynamo was launched.
The movie quotes, “As of 20:00 hours last night, the Germans have encircled 60 British, Belgium, and French divisions. On our part all forces under Lord Gort have withdrawn or are trying to withdraw to the French coast, to Dunkirk, where we cannot reach them.” Churchill responds with, “Of the greatest importance, use 4000 men to distract the Nazi’s from the 300 000 men at Dunkirk.”
According to the BBC, At 18:57 hours on 26 May 1940, the signal was received to start Operation Dynamo. Germany had already invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France. French and British forces fell back from rapid German advance and thousands of Allied troops, completely surrounded, retreated to the French coastline, particularly Dunkirk.
Churchill and the British government appealed a plea to the owners of small boats to offer service to sail across to Dunkirk to aid with the evacuation. Approximately 850 ships answered the call, to either transport men from the beaches to naval vessels, or to take soldiers directly back to England.
In the movie, Lord Halifax can be quoted saying “Well surely before you take the responsibility for the deaths of 4000 men, you’d wish to consider every available avenue. Is your mind on the principle of peace talks? Are you even taking into consideration taking part in any negotiations?”
Churchill ignored Halifax, staying true to what his instincts felt was the right thing to do. When the evacuation ended on June 4, about 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops had been successfully saved, with no need of a peace talk.
While simplifying information and adding entertaining factors, The movie is mostly accurate in its representation of Winston Churchill’s advancements and decisions in the war as Prime Minister of Britain.
2. The movie is accurate in its representation of Winston Churchill’s support system within the wartime.
As Prime Minister of Britain, Winston Churchill is required to induct his personal War Cabinet. A war cabinet is a committee formed by a government lead its nation through wartime. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. Throughout the movie, apart from himself, the only members of the committee known, are Lord Halifax and Neville Chamberlain.
According to historical records, Churchill’s is war cabinet comprised of:
Neville Chamberlain – best known for his policy of “appeasement” toward Adolf Hitler’s Germany, he signed the Munich Agreement in 1938, relinquishing a region of Czechoslovakia to the Nazis. He is Churchill’s predecessors and was in office 1937 – 1940.
Lord Halifax, also known as Edward Wood, was the 1st Earl of Halifax and was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s. He was Churchill’s biggest rival when trying to claim the seat of Prime Minister, but Halifax declined the offer of Prime Minister.
The Cabinet also included Sir Anthony Eden, the foreign secretary, and Archibald Sinclair, Clement Attlee and Arthur Greenwood – representatives of the Labour Party with Sir Edward Bridges, the official cabinet scribe.
Another character in the movie that is most prominent is Ms. Elizabeth Layton. Throughout the movie, Layton is portrayed as just a scribe for Churchill, working with Churchill throughout 10-30 May 1940.
However, according to historical records, Elizabeth Shakespear Nel (née Layton) was a personal secretary to Winston Churchill from 1941 to 1945.
The movie tells the story of Churchill and Layton’s first encounter. She sat at a silent typewriter where she immediately fell foul of the Prime Minister by making a mistake. He liked his speeches typed as he dictated in double-spaced lines, but she used single spacing. She was ordered from the room as Churchill berated her using the words “fool”, “mug” and “idiot”.
In the movie, this is the exact same scene that is explored, occurring on the 10th of May 1940. However, in historical records, this occurred in late May 1941 and was Churchill’s secretary from 1941-1945.
Throughout the war, Lord Halifax’s position is uncooperative with Churchill’s incentives, having argued for a truce and discussing the issue with Italy’s ambassador. Halifax thought the British government would have to acknowledge Hitler’s triumph in Europe. This would be humiliating but it could then try to secure a measure of autonomy and even continue to have an imperial role. A truce could also mean that Britain would avoid the violent battles that had been fought over Poland and France.
On 25 May, Halifax reported to the War Cabinet that Giuseppe Bastianini, the Italian ambassador in London, had requested a meeting with him to discuss Italy’s neutrality. Churchill did not think the meeting was of importance but was to be kept from the press, believing any publicity in this matter “would amount to a confession of weakness”.
Halifax met Bastianini later that afternoon. The discussion inquired the question of Italian neutrality to that of Italian mediation between the Allies and Germany.
Bastianini said that Mussolini’s goal was to negotiate a settlement “that would not merely be an armistice, aiming to protect European peace for the century”. Halifax made his willingness clear, however, did not commit himself to any course of action: “The purpose of His Majesty’s government was the same, and they would never be unwilling to consider any proposal made with authority that gave promise for the establishment of a secure and peaceful Europe”.
In the movie, Lord Halifax’s position aligns with historical records. Through threatening to go and confer with Bastianini to always pressing Churchill about negotiation, this clearly demonstrates Lord Halifax’s purpose within the Cabinet.
He succeeded, partly with an impassioned speech in which he said: “If this long island story of ours is to end, at last, let it end only when each one of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground”. The other ministers’ support for Churchill effectively ended Halifax’s campaign for peace talks.
Furthermore, the Alliance between the United States of America and Britain is clearly shown, when Churchill asks USA President Franklin Roosevelt to loan 50 naval ships, stating they “are facing the gravest odds.” The president makes some plans to aid Churchill, despite being completely neutral.
The USA began the war being completely neutral, only entering with the Allies until after the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.
FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) promised the American people that the country would be kept out of the war. He made no promises to Winston Churchill. According to historical records, Churchill wrote to FDR, after the November election in November 1941, “…I prayed for your success…We are entering a somber phase of what must inevitably be a protracted and broadening war…” FDR gave no response. But he subtly engaged in preparing the American people for the possibility of future entrance into the conflict.
With using real characters in their element in history, the movie is accurate in its representation of Winston Churchill’s support system within the wartime.
3. While the movie supplies additional entertaining fiction, the movie is mostly accurate in its representation of Winston Churchill’s public emotion perception.
In the movie, on the 19th of May, Churchill is to present a radio broadcast to the whole of Britain. As his foreign secretary Sir Anthony Eden reads over his script, he tells Winston, “You’re suggesting we’re somehow winning. We’re not.” Throughout the broadcast, Churchill reveals, he has “Invincible confidence in the French army and it’s leaders” and “Conquer we must, as conquer we shall.” He tells Britain that, “only a minor part of the French army and Europe has been engaged.” He completely downplays the severity of danger Britain is in, using his tactic of encouragement to get his nation to raise morale and ensuring a positive attitude is maintained.
This is also seen in his presentations to the public through the house of representatives.
On May 13 Churchill faced the House of Commons for the first time as prime minister. He warned members of the hard road ahead—“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”—and committed himself and the nation to all-out war until victory was achieved. Behind this simplicity of aim lay an elaborate strategy to which he adhered with remarkable consistency throughout the war.
In the movie, Churchill makes the decision to not alert the public of the movements when the French army capitulates and Belgium and Holland being in grave danger on the day of the 16th of May. The Battle of France is represented as a mission to save France, with the entire French army having capitulated, commencing on the 16th of May, 1940. The war cabinet are disagreeing whether to save fighter planes for the defence of the UK, not France. Collectively, they were looking at the collapse of western Europe in the next few days. Churchill makes the decision to not alert the public just yet of the movements, wanting to instigate a heroic resistance, in order to save France at all costs.
Through the use of accurate evidence from specific quotes, the movie is accurate in its representation of Winston Churchill’s public exhibition of his emotions within dealing with his obligations and decisions as the Prime Minister of Britain.
The Darkest Hour is a Dramatic History film, released in 2017, which explores the story of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, at the precipice of World War II.
While the movie Darkest Hour supplies additional entertaining fiction, the representation of Winston Churchill’s response to Nazi Germany’s aggression is accurate in terms of Churchill’s advancements and decisions, his public support, and the perception of his emotional response in the public eye.
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Winston Churchill, 30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965