It's a "big" movie, narrated by Simon Ward, who plays Winston Churchill, in that magnificent and ironic voice. Most of the narration seems taken from Churchill's own writing and speeches. It covers his youth from what the Brits call "public school" and we call "private school" to his adventures as a lieutenant and war correspondent on the frontiers of the British empire -- India and South Africa.
Churchill was evidently always an ambitious young man, anxious to live up to the unreasonable expectations of his stern and distant father. The movie makes fun of Churchill's rash behavior, but it's gentle fun. His heroism on the battlefield I take to be accurate, though I don't know.
A considerable number of distinguished British actors have accepted small parts in the film -- John Mills, Jack Hawkins and the like -- and the sweep of the story is impressive.
Much of the story depends on Simon Ward's rendition of the Great Man, and he's not bad. Except for one scene, in which he gives an important speech in Parliament, suggesting a switch from conservative to liberal, or at least moderate, in which he looks and sounds very much like an actor.
The director, Richard Attenborough, is intelligent, articulate, quick-witted, and has an elegant sense of humor, but his direction, here and elsewhere, leaves me wondering if he has the necessary skill to capture the sorts of monumental subjects he's drawn to. "Gandhi" was a little dull, and "A Bridge Too Far" was edited into an incomprehensible mess.
Well, maybe that's a bit harsh. None is a total failure but neither are they are gripping as the subjects might allow. There is a battle scene here, involving a partially derailed train under fire from the Boers, in which Churchill saves the day and distinguishes himself. It's exciting but it's equally confusing.
The emphasis throughout is on the character of Churchill. We never do get a clear idea of the political and military context in which he must operate. Anthony Hopkins appears briefly as Lloyd George, generally thought of as a dove, while John Mills has a few seconds on screen as Kitchener, a real bastard. You wouldn't know it from the movie. Nor would you know who the Boers were -- let alone what the war was all about.
The film tells us a lot about Churchill's youth, until he was 25 years old. It's "educational" and never dull. If it doesn't quite satisfy its own ambitions, well, so what?
Churchill was evidently always an ambitious young man, anxious to live up to the unreasonable expectations of his stern and distant father. The movie makes fun of Churchill's rash behavior, but it's gentle fun. His heroism on the battlefield I take to be accurate, though I don't know.
A considerable number of distinguished British actors have accepted small parts in the film -- John Mills, Jack Hawkins and the like -- and the sweep of the story is impressive.
Much of the story depends on Simon Ward's rendition of the Great Man, and he's not bad. Except for one scene, in which he gives an important speech in Parliament, suggesting a switch from conservative to liberal, or at least moderate, in which he looks and sounds very much like an actor.
The director, Richard Attenborough, is intelligent, articulate, quick-witted, and has an elegant sense of humor, but his direction, here and elsewhere, leaves me wondering if he has the necessary skill to capture the sorts of monumental subjects he's drawn to. "Gandhi" was a little dull, and "A Bridge Too Far" was edited into an incomprehensible mess.
Well, maybe that's a bit harsh. None is a total failure but neither are they are gripping as the subjects might allow. There is a battle scene here, involving a partially derailed train under fire from the Boers, in which Churchill saves the day and distinguishes himself. It's exciting but it's equally confusing.
The emphasis throughout is on the character of Churchill. We never do get a clear idea of the political and military context in which he must operate. Anthony Hopkins appears briefly as Lloyd George, generally thought of as a dove, while John Mills has a few seconds on screen as Kitchener, a real bastard. You wouldn't know it from the movie. Nor would you know who the Boers were -- let alone what the war was all about.
The film tells us a lot about Churchill's youth, until he was 25 years old. It's "educational" and never dull. If it doesn't quite satisfy its own ambitions, well, so what?