History in speeches and shrapnel
In 2017, World War II returned to theaters in stereo with Darkest Hour and Dunkirk. Both cover the same pivotal moment (the evacuation of British forces from France) but from starkly different angles. Darkest Hour is a tense chamber piece, spotlighting Winston Churchill’s political resolve and rhetorical firepower, while Dunkirk is a visceral, near-silent immersion into survival on land, sea, and air. Taken together, they’re two sides of the same wartime coin: strategy and sacrifice.
Darkest Hour
In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire. During the next four weeks in 1940, Churchill cements his legacy as his courageous decisions and leadership help change the course of world history.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2017
- Director(s)
- Joe Wright
- Writer(s)
- Anthony McCarten
- Leading Cast
- Gary Oldman , Kristin Scott Thomas , Lily James , Stephen Dillane , Ronald Pickup , Ben Mendelsohn
- Budget
- $30,468,410
- Box Office
- $56,468,410 $94,378,864
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 84% 83%
- IMDB
- 7.4 / 10
- Trailer
- View Trailer
- Sources
- OMDb Rotten Tomatoes IMDB Box Office Mojo Wikipedia
Dunkirk
In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. With their backs to the sea, they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in. The story follows the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France from three perspectives - land, sea, and air.
- Release Date
- July 21, 2017
- Tagline(s)
- "Hope is a weapon. Survival is victory.", "When 400,000 men couldn't get home, home came for them.", "The event that shaped our world."
- Director(s)
- Christopher Nolan
- Writer(s)
- Christopher Nolan
- Leading Cast
- Fionn Whitehead , Tom Glynn-Carney , Jack Lowden , Harry Styles , Aneurin Barnard , James D'Arcy , Barry Keoghan , Kenneth Branagh , Cillian Murphy , Mark Rylance , Tom Hardy
- Budget
- $100,000,000
- Box Office
- $188,373,161 $337,672,385
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 92% 81%
- IMDB
- 7.8 / 10
- Trailer
- View Trailer
- Sources
- OMDb Rotten Tomatoes IMDB Box Office Mojo Wikipedia
