We shall fight on the beaches... we shall be roused to standing ovation
WINSTON CHURCHILL’S call to “fight on the beaches” appears to have lost none of its power, after cinemagoers reported a spate of spontaneous standing ovations at the conclusion of the new biopic about Britain’s wartime prime minister.
Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman as Churchill, is said to be inspiring patriotic fervour around the country and in the United States, as audiences react to the recreation of the famous Second World War oration with an “extraordinary” show of clapping.
Fans of the film have speculated that the reaction is down to both the appreciation of the film and an acknowledgement of the British war effort, with one suggesting it captured a “Dunkirk Spirit coming out” in 2018.
Eric Fellner, co-chairman of Working Title Films and producer of Darkest Hour, said filmmakers had received numerous “surprising” reports of audiences breaking into applause, admitting it “very rarely happens”.
Darkest Hour ends with Oldman delivering Churchill’s House of Commons speech of June 4 1940, responding to the Dunkirk evacuation and vowing: “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.” Asked about standing ovations and applause in ordinary cinemas, Fellner said: “It has been reported back to us, not only here but in America.
“We’ve been hearing it a lot. It’s very surprising. It very rarely happens other than at the premiere or special screenings of the films, so it’s quite extraordinary. It’s completely unusual, totally unusual.”
David Cowgill, from Knutsford, Cheshire, told The Daily Telegraph: “Our small local cinema was packed and, at the end, a large section of the audience applauded.
“I asked myself if they were showing appreciation of a good film or was it the Dunkirk Spirit coming out. My gut reaction says it was the latter.” Patricia Eastwood, from Skipton, North Yorks, reported a similar phenomenon in the US. “I have been told by an American friend that the whole theatre stood up and applauded at the end of Darkest Hour so great was their admiration for Winston Churchill and the British war effort,” she wrote.
One British cinemagoer wrote online: “First time I have seen a film that has the audience clapping at the end. Darkest Hour is amazing and Oldman is outstanding as Churchill.”
J Don Birnam, a US film critic, said: “Darkest Hour is one of the movies that are still getting sustained applause at guild screenings I have attended.” Phil Clapp, chief executive of UK Cinema Association, said its members had not yet reported data on the frequency of applause or standing ovations, as the film had only been in UK cinemas for a matter of days.
“Such audience reaction to a particular film is not that common these days and where it has happened has tended to be at films with a ready-made fan base,” he said.