When Lions Roared AKA Then There Were Giants (1994). This is a two part mini-series from 1994 starring Michael Caine as Joseph Stalin, Bob Hoskins as Winston Churchill, and John Lithgow as Franklin Roosevelt.
The film gives an overview of the Second World War. It isn't a thorough, all-absorbing overview of all aspects of the War. It is like a refresher course on the Second World War, offering highlights to the war as a whole. If you have never, ever read about the war--or watched documentaries about the war--and were completely clueless about the war, then you might find it overwhelming and hard to keep up with the fast-moving pace.
The focus isn't so much on the war itself--the various fronts, operations, battles, victories and losses--as it is focused on the relationship between the three world leaders: Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin. The film highlights their differences--for better or worse--and shows them always seeking and straining to work together for the better good.
In other words, this film is very much about the politics of war, the politics of peace, and the POWER of words.
It almost felt like a three-man stage play for me.
For me, what I enjoyed most were the snippets of Churchill's speeches. He is without compare as far as I'm concerned when it comes to speechifying.
It was amusing to see John Lithgow--as FDR--make so many disparaging comments about Churchill and his speeches--then went on to play Winston Churchill in The Crown.
It is available to watch for free on iMDB TV.
© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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