Jonathan Teplitzky's "Churchill" is historically accurate and is a good historical source as it takes the perspective of Winston Churchill during WW2, D-Day, and his personal life and recreates as accurately as possible. The film, which imagines British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill as afflicted with qualm and opposing the Allied Forces' D-Day invasion until the last few days before the actual invasion.
This film successfully attempts to show the impact Winston had on the world war. The director does this by showing Winston as a man that has no place in the politics of war as he was mostly to blame for the 1915 Gallipoli Campaign disaster which led to the deaths of thousands of young men that were under his command and the toll it took on him and his reputation as a political leader. The failure of the Gallipoli Campaign was also a driving point of Winston Churchill's depression that takes a toll on him later in the film. The director also shows Winston as a war hero as he successfully leads Britain through World War Two. Additionally, he was well known for his motivating speeches, and for his refusal to give in, even when things were going poorly.
Also, this movie is a good historical source as it accurately remakes the hardships Churchill faced before the months leading to the beach landings. In the film, Churchill is faced with great anguish and distress as he is extremely fearful that the Germans will be able to see through there tactics and that D-Day will become a recreation of the massacre of 1915 which he led. The wind which blows off his trademark cap also brings with it the far off noises of trench warfare - gunshots and distressed cries - as Churchill is reminded of his place in the untimely demise of a generation of young soldiers in the World War. "I mustn't let it happen again," he growls to Clementine, his calming and level-headed wife. As D-Day creeps near, and Field Marshal Montgomery (Julian Wadham) and General Eisenhower (John Slattery) strongly agree that a massive display of power is needed to interrupt the advance of the Germans, Churchill alone is overcome with doubts. "This plan is for slaughter," he splutters.
The 1915 Gallipoli massacre took the lives of nearly 142, 000 British, French, and dominion soldiers. This changed Winston Churchill as a man and a political leader. Throughout the entirety of the movie Churchill is burdened with the guilt of leading the young men which he commanded into defeat. This takes a toll on his well being as well as his standing as a political leader. After the massacre, Churchill is forced to resign. In the film, Jonathan Teplitzky clearly shows the audience the effect the massacre had on Winston and how it changed him. It is shown when Churchill turns to alcohol to cope with his depression.
