Churchill and the Generals

This under-rated drama has a classic quality all of its own. It gives a superb insight into the complexities of Churchill as a man and a leader. It also provides an intriguing peek at both military and political thinking on both sides of the Atlantic during the Second World War.

Casting can only be described as brilliant. Not only were the leading characters played superbly by established and fine actors but most had a physical resemblance to the real people they played.

It was released in the States on VHS a long time ago, but currently someone has posted it all on You Tube.

If you are interested in understanding the War from a different perspective, do watch it.

I remember watching this on PBS. Great series, particularly for a US audience, where there is not much said about the war prior to 12/7/1941. Wavell and Auchinleck did a good job and kept the Nazis and Facists at bay until the US got into the war, but got little credit for it. No stirring war scenes, but the dramatic dialogue between Churchill, his generals is gripping stuff since the fate of the world is at stake. That it is the actual messages between them lend an immediacy and emotional edge to the exchanges. You feel for the Generals, especially Wavell, far from London, at the end of a unsure pipeline of support of all types, logistical, political and moral, trying to soldier on.

I love Churchill and have seen a number of movies on his life. Biograghies and documentaries generally better than fiction.

But this is particularly unsatisfying. First is the childish and almost feminine demeanor of the great wartime leader played by this actor. Hair raising. Next is the British point of view, with overstatement of strategic importance of military power of UK during wartime. Next is almost complete lack of any history except the few encounters they chose to depict. I guess this is in the service of total focus on the generals, per se, which admittedly is the stated goal of the film.

We managed to endure almost 2 hours before agreeing to exit.

A Well-crafted presentation of Winston Churchill and the interrelationships between the generals and the Prime Minister. The acting is superb, the dialogue captivating, and the war film footage brings back memories of the horrors and deaths of so many fine men and women. If only the memories could stop the future carnage of people.

I think I saw this on BBC tv when it was first shown. I was late teens and although I was obsessed by World War 2 it was not an easy watch for a teenager.

Between 1980 and now I have studied history and collected a great collection of books and films about World War 2.

I finally got the dvd a while back and have watched it several times.

It is a great telling of an interesting and inspiring story. One would have to be an American or Jeremy Corbyn to underrate the role of Britain and the empire in world events 1939-1942.

If you don't know it was Britain v the axis from May 1940 until June 1941 (USSR attacked) then in December 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked,America joined the war.

History is not made by great men alone but Churchill was vital to the whole story. This 3 hour drama documentary is dated of course but the history is solid and the acting by a well chosen cast is superb.

It tells the story of the first part of the world war 2,so it is not all about America.