Into the Storm – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Film, Reviews

intothestorm

It’s in wartime that politicians tend to become more interesting; peacetime is just that. Peaceful. Secondary to the men fighting the war, the politicians waging it are often engaging and interesting to view. Winston Churchill has always been someone of interest in the Second World War, leading Britain from near defeat to victory with the Allied Powers, and yet his political career seemed to be on the verge of ending at the end of that war. Defeated in the 1945 election, Britons had opted to go towards a reform route then one with the man who had guided them through a harsh war. And while hi political career was far from over at that point, it sure seemed that way. Into the Storm follows that period in Churchill’s life, following the defeat of the Axis powers and his own subsequent political setback.

A sequel to The Gathering Storm, Brendan Gleeson takes on the role that Albert Finney originated in that film as the British Prime Minister. The film is told in flashbacks from around the time of the election, showcasing Churchill’s leadership in wartime as his leadership in peacetime is about to end. Going to and fro through various points in the war, from the initial British defeats at the hands of the German to their eventual victory, we get to see a snippet of Churchill’s life as a politician at what might be his lowest point in political life.

It’s an interesting piece, that’s for sure. Seeing Churchill at a low point, and England in a time of change, makes for an interesting character piece about the man. As he tries to repair the fractures in his marriage that the preceding period has enacted upon it, he flashes back to the points in his life that took him there as well. It’s the middle piece in what is presumably a trilogy about the life of Churchill, with an older British character actor taking the reigns for Churchill’s decline, so there’s a sense throughout that this is a middle chapter as opposed to a standalone piece. But despite this, it does feature another great actor in the role of Churchill.

Gleeson, who has had a nice career as a character actor, gives a terrific performance as Churchill. While no one has really given a definitive cinematic portrayal of the British Prime Minister, Gleeson provides one of the better ones to date. Churchill is an intriguing man and this is one of the times in his life that it would be interesting to have been a fly on the wall. This is perhaps the next best thing to it.

Into the Storm remains, then, a great character piece that can only really find its niche once this trilogy of Churchill has been told.

Presented in a widescreen format, with a Dolby digital surround, the film has a terrific transfer. This is a film with a lot of color and great scenery and it comes through cleanly and clearly.

Audio commentary with Producer Frank Doelger and Writer Hugh Whitemore.

The making of Into the Storm is a quick seven minute piece about the film.

With not much besides the film itself, it’s hard to recommend this to anyone outside of WWII buffs or those with an eye towards history. It is worth the watch, especially in conjunction with The Gathering Storm.


HBO Films presents Into the Storm. Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan. Starring Brendan Gleeson, Janet McTeer, James D’Arcy. Written by Hugh Whitemore. Running time: 98 minutes. Not Rated. Released on DVD: 12.1.2009. Available at Amazon.