In ‘Darkest Hour,’ an iron will wins you over

For the aristocracy, the will was also molded by the kind of literature that helped shape the empire, which, along with the British navy and its guns, reinforced Great Britain’s place, ruling the seas.

It was the literature that reinforced all this in the minds of its ruling class, that they were the conservators of the West. And Churchill was a most literate man.

Many Churchill films — including this one — rely on the writings of the Whig statesman, Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay, to illustrate this point.

Oldman’s Churchill recites from Macaulay while at his darkest hour, facing enemies and allies who want the nation to kneel because it would be the prudent thing to do.

“And how can man die better/ Than facing fearful odds/ For the ashes of his fathers/ And the temples of his Gods.”

Others have pointed out one glaring false note in the film: Churchill reciting Macaulay while riding on the underground train, talking with the people about what they want to do.

But his admiration for Macaulay was not false. He devoured Macaulay as a young man. And Macaulay’s version of Horatio at the Bridge is the story of England in World War II, the story of Winston Churchill in the London bunker in the dark with his whiskey and his cigar.

Why is Churchill so fascinating, even today?

He refused to bend his knee. He refused to listen to the voices of reason that told him appeasement with Germany was the prudent course to save his people.

And with his army trapped at Dunkirk, with the United States avoiding the war, with the United Kingdom exhausted, those voices of reason became even more reasonable, powerful and insistent.

If he had capitulated, and Germany took England, the United States could never have invaded France. Great Britain would have belonged to Hitler.

So the story is absolutely compelling. And the acting is so good you forget Oldman is acting. Do yourself a favor. See “Darkest Hour.” You might think it necessary, too.