The British History: Why Most British Admire Churchill Personality

Churchill’s speech to Parliament during the World War II is now legendary, and his radio address to the nation is legendary. 'We will defend our homeland at all costs,' he declared in a famous speech, ' It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us.' We will never surrender. 'This inspiring, tenacious speech was delivered on June 4, 1940.

Churchill realized early on that our country must win the support of the United States if it is to have a chance to survive in this war. So he launched a charm offensive with our government, pleading with the Americans to help them. Our people have portrayed themselves as a heroic nation that would rather die and die, and have suffered a terrible attack, although all over the body, but has not yet been defeated.

There are many ways to win the support of Americans, one of which is through the film. After the bombing of London, the British made a promotional film, London Can Hold On! It depicts our country ordinary people in the air strikes as usual in their own life. The film received a strong response in the United States, even earning an Academy Award nomination the following year.

Then we won more propaganda. It was during this period that Churchill became a symbol of the perseverance of the British people. He has been this image to this day. The American press described him as 'the right person to do the right thing at the right time', and he has been in the eyes of the people ever since. He is one of the few British historical figures who is equally famous in Britain and elsewhere in the world. Americans have a lot of respect for him. Today, the President of the United States has a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office.

These advocacy efforts have finally paid off. In the spring of 1941, the United States Congress agreed to provide free war supplies to Britain. Billions of dollars worth of food, fuel and machinery were transported across the Atlantic (despite the threat of German submarines) under the Leasing Act, more than was needed to cover Dunkirk's losses. (The 'lease bill' soon also provided material assistance to China)

At the end of 1941, the Americans gave us a second gift: the United States officially joined the war. President Roosevelt announced that his first step was not to focus on defeating Japan, even though Japan had attacked the Americans at Pearl Harbor. The United States will pursue a 'German-first' policy, first of all by supporting the UK. Churchill's charm offensive was a great success.

There are already many British films depicting the World WarⅡ, and each film has a different purpose. In wartime, movies are useful propaganda tools. They tell the world, 'Our nation will not give up; they show the British people the example they should follow.'

War movies of the 1950s and 1960s had different functions. They remind us, the British, of our wartime heroism and help us understand the trauma we've been through a while. Michael Anderson's The Dam Busters, for example, tells the story of an RAF squadron who bravely launched an air strike on Germany, but half of the crew failed to return. When the film was released in 1955, many audiences were in tears. Each of us knows some of the people who died in the war, and this film reminds us of our own sacrifices and reminds them that they are a wonderful and noble cause.

Britain suffered heavy losses in World War II and greatly reduced its post-war international status, so in an era when war movies could remind the British how brilliant we were. For example, the film Ice Cold in Alex about the War in North Africareminds British audiences that Britain once controlled the region. The film was released in 1958, just two years after the British invasion of Suez ended in humiliation. The same is true of The Purple Plain, about Britain defending Burma and A Town Like Alice, about the British in the Malay Peninsula. Dean Acheson, an American politician, said in 1963 that Britain had 'lost an empire but has not yet found a new place'. At least the British can look back on the good old days through war movies, when we not only ruled the world, but fought valiantly to preserve our empire.

If every era produces different war movies, what does today's film tell us? Let's take a look at some of the recent war movies. In 2010, during the global economic crisis, Tom Hooper directed King's Speech, about how King George VI overcame stuttering. There are many reasons for the film's success. But one of them is certainly the story's setting at the beginning of World War II. The film's sense of crisis must have resonated with British audiences, who themselves are experiencing a more modern crisis. The king's stutter is a metaphor that represents all this. The film's message is simple: the British will be able to overcome any difficulties, whether verbal impairment, war or economic crisis, as long as they are steadfast and willing to adapt to the new environment. (These themes also resonate outside the UK, so the film is very popular all over the world.)

The summer of 2017 is also associated with contemporary life. Dunkirk is about British soldiers who want to do everything they can to leave the continent. The UK was at the time of the film's release, so the link between the film and today is obvious. (Coincidentally, during the 2016 Brexit referendum, British newspapers often likened Brexit to a Dunkirk retreat) The film's message was equally simple: Britain had been in crisis in Europe in the past, but it had won. Today, the British people are also desperate to believe that we can all fall out of the Brexit turmoil.

Then there's Joe Wright's latest film, The Dark Hour. It is also about Britain being threatened by Germany, which today is the most powerful member of the European Union. The film shows the British ruling bloc in a disarray over a crucial decision, just as today's British political leaders are deeply divided over Brexit.

In the film, Churchill takes to the front and saves the moment. As a leader, he was filled with doubts and insecurities, but he was determined to do the right thing. It's a comforting message for today's audience, who are eager to see some form of victory one day in the political turmoil they experience. But who is Churchill today? Is it British Prime Minister Theresa May? Her fortitude in the face of enormous political pressure is indeed impressive. Is it Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson? He wrote a book about Churchill and often quoted him in speeches and newspaper articles. Or does all this recent depiction of Churchill, an iconic historical figure, suggest a spiritual emptiness at the heart of British politics, which the British people yearn to fill with a great man like Churchill?

Past British war films were either designed to help the British soothe our wounds or to celebrate the good old days, but I reckon the theme of films such as The Dark Hour is not really the World WarⅡ at all. The real value and appeal of these films is that they actually symbolize the situation we live in today. They represent the British desire for for fortitude, firmness and clear purpose, qualities that the British possessed during World WarII. But in today's uncertain world, the British no longer seem to possess them.

In the old days, when the British needed to comfort or motivate ourselves, we read the stories of legendary heroes. So it is no surprise that today we turn our attention to a more modern hero. The Churchill we see in the film is not a true historical figure, but a legendary version of the historical figure, a symbol of perseverance that can comfort us in today's turbulent times.