Young Winston chronicles the formative years of one of England's greatest ever statesman. We witness the early childhood of Churchill, pass through his army days and encounter his first forays into the world of Edwardian politics as a Tory MP tempted to switch to the Liberals. With a strong cast, including Robert Shaw as Churchill's coldly distant father, Lord Randolph (briefly Chancellor of the Exchequer), and Anthony Hopkins as David Lloyd George, this is a film that saunters along at a nice pace. The chap who plays Churchill also looks remarkably similar to the great man in his youth, a nice bit of casting. The highlight of the film is the battle of Omdurman, where Churchill took part in one of the British Empire's final heroic cavalry charges, brilliantly portrayed. I would have liked to have seen a greater concentration on this illustrious episode, however, but there you go! Other highlights include Churchill's daring escape from a Boer prison camp and his somewhat hot-headed defence of a train deep in enemy territory during the 1899-1902 conflict. Attenborough is an excellent director and whilst this is not his best work, it merits a viewing. For a readable and concise look at Churchill's life, I would recommend Richard Holmes' In the Footsteps of Churchill.
Review of Young Winston
