Churchill - The Finest Hours [DVD] [1964]

This is truly one of the most excellent, informative and well done biographical videos that it has been my pleasure to obtain. The narration and soundtrack to it are superb, and the accuracy is very well done as well. I recommend it highly to any fan or student of the life of the Honorable Sir Winston Churchill.

"History will be good to Me; for I intend to write it!"; so said Winston Spencer Churchill. In this DVD, the director Peter Baylis does it for him perfectly. Supported spendidly by the music of Ron Grainer; Orson Welles renders forth the awe-inspiring legend of 'Winston'; warrior, painter, statesman, war-leader; a latter day Aetius of the British Empire, hero and saviour of his country!

Peppered throughout with extracts from his magnificent speechs, this 111minute programme begins in Blaydon churchyard, moving from the great man's final resting place there, to his childhood home at Blenheim Palace; then on to his adventures in the Boer War, the Gallipoli campaign and his later combats in Flanders. Next come the political struggles of the twenties and his single handed attempt to warn the world of Nazism's menace.

The main body of the programme covers Churchill's period as wartime Prime Minister and his command of the British Empire's war effort, from the defeats in France through the North African campaign, to D-day and ultimate victory in 1945.

This is the only authorised version of Churchill's war years, made with his full co-operation and blessing. Is it all true? Yes, every word! and it would be churlish to be critical of the enormity of Winston S Churchill's massive influence on the twentieth century.

With the benefit of hindsight, some seventy years later, it is now possible to judge more impartially the result of those awful heroic days of long ago, and the picture is rather less clear. The Empire Winston fought so hard for lasted less than a decade after the guns fell silent. The British Navy he loved is but a shadow of the mighty force he commanded. Even worse, the Parliament of which he was so proud, today (June 2009), wallows amidst the worst case of widescale institutional corruption since the seventeenth century.

Had Winston used his talents to advocate different policies in the 1930's, the creation of an earlier united Europe/EEC; would it have been possible to restrain Germany; prevent the slaughter of WW2 and; to quote the great man himself "strangle Bolshevism in it's cradle"; thus preventing both the end of old Europe and the ensuing forty year long Cold War with Communism?

We will never know, but watching this DVD I can sincerely say I believe Winston Churchill to have been England's finest son. God bless you Winston, but if only you knew how desperately your people need leadership today.The Official Story Of Churchill - The Finest Hours [DVD]

I already had the film on VHS, so knew what I was buying. The story of Churchill's life is an amazing one and The Finest Hours covers his wartime premiership superbly. In such a brilliant film, it is disappointing that the commentary includes the awful pronounciation of Marlborough, which should sound like Morlborough and not Marlebrugh, and the statement that Churchill went to The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He did not. He was at Sandhurst but, until 1947, it was The Royal Military College, which was formed in 1800 as the training establishment for cadets wanting to be commissioned into the cavalry, The Brigade of Guards and the infantry. Churchill was commissioned into the 4th Hussars from Sandhurst in 1895. The Royal Military Academy was at Woolwich and was founded in 1741 for those destined for the artillery and engineers. It was only on the amalgamation of the two establishments in 1947 that Sandhurst became The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. A pity that the production team did not check that part of its research. Fortunately, these two distractions are early in the film and are forgotten very quickly in the pace and power of the The Finest Hours. Thoroughly recommended.