The beautiful English character studies of The King’s Speech have been outdone by this picture. The portrayal of Winston Churchill told me more in the brilliant script and superb acting than the thousands of words I have read about this man of great vision, courage and oratory.
Although I felt Daniel Day Lewis was Lincoln in his portrayal I am at an age that I can remember Churchill, this Englishman of the hour. Oldman’s performance exceeded that of the great actor Daniel Day Lewis in my view.
So what does one need beyond a great script and performance to make a great film? To me that is art direction. This is a feast for the eye of the magnificence that was early wartime London in all its elegance and royalty.
Finally and most importantly the movie is enobling, a reminder that giving in to a heinous evil, whatever the price is not an option. To be more precise some things are worth dying for.
Don’t let another week go by without this enriching, poignant experience.
H. Robert Rubin, memoirist and author of Look Backward Angel, an e-book on Amazon and How Did I Get Through This? to be published on Amazon this year
Pilgrim on a Long, Long Journey 