Never never never surrender|Nov. 22, 2017|UK|125 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Drama;History
Description: In May 1940, the opposition Labour Party in Parliament demanded the resignation of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for being ineffective against the Nazi threat. Chamberlain considered Lord Halifax as his successor, but Halifax declined. Consequently, Chamberlain had no choice but to appoint Winston Churchill, who had previously warned about Adolf Hitler’s danger.
Churchill faced challenges immediately. He attempted to dismiss his new secretary, Elizabeth Layton, for a misunderstanding, earning criticism from his wife, Clementine. King George VI, who distrusted Churchill due to his past support for Edward VIII, reluctantly invited him to form a government. Churchill included Chamberlain and Halifax in his administration. On the same day, Germany invaded Belgium and the Netherlands.
Churchill’s reputation in Parliament was tarnished due to his involvement in controversial events like the Gallipoli Campaign and his political defections. His first speech, promising “blood, toil, tears, and sweat,” was met with skepticism. Chamberlain and Halifax, disturbed by Churchill’s refusal to negotiate for peace, planned to resign to force a no-confidence vote, paving the way for Halifax to become Prime Minister.
During a meeting with French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud, Churchill was accused of being delusional for not acknowledging the Allies’ losses in the Battle of France. However, Churchill was frustrated by France’s lack of a counterattack strategy. Although US President Franklin Roosevelt sympathized with Churchill, his ability to act was constrained by an isolationist Congress and the Neutrality Acts.
Cast director: Joe Wright
Cast actor: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, Ben Mendelsohn, Nicholas Jones, Samuel West, David Schofield, Richard Lumsden
Original name: Darkest Hour