My friend and I saw "The Darkest Hour" yesterday afternoon. It was well made and the acting terrific, but it had some scenes that were quite smaltzsy. Churchill was a complicated man, and that was conveyed well. The pull of this movie, as with "Dunkirk" may be the simplicity and obviousness of the enemy. Evil is crystal clear, but maybe only in retrospect. We hanker for clarity when the water is muddied, as it is now in Britain and here. Media are messing with our minds and confusing what we used to take as right or wrong. People are being fired or resigning for actions the President is clearly guilty of. Dictators are being threatened in language of dictators. Racism and classism are wrapped up in flags of patriotism.
The movie does a good job of showing that standing up to evil is sometimes the job of a bully. But more importantly, it requires the courage to dare to fail and the resoluteness to lead. It's lonely. I saw today in the newspaper that an elderly couple who are Nazi hunters will be honored. To not quit or say it's ancient history while evil sits in its suburban comfort is a lonely hard road. You have to lead with your heart, not your head. Very few are able to stand up and name the evil.
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