The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

 

7/10

Starring

Henry Cavill

Eiza González

Alan Ritchson

Alex Pettyfer

Hero Fiennes Tiffin

Babs Olusanmokun

Henry Golding

Cary Elwes

 

Directed by Guy Ritchie

 

I, for one, am happy and fortunate not to have lived through the Second World War. The tragedy and unbelievable events that occurred during the war form the basis of many movies and heroic film characters we see today.

Even though war and violence still persist, with even more unspeakable acts being committed, I consider myself fortunate not to have directly witnessed them (only through TV and the internet). It remains deeply sad that such atrocities continue.

This film tells the tale of Gus March-Phillipps and his team, who were sent on a mission that played a part in helping Europe defeat Hitler. It is based on Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII.

The way Guy Ritchie crafted this film is what I love about it. There’s an intensity that comes from the team striving to achieve something seemingly impossible, coupled with the fear of what might happen to any one of them. I intentionally distanced myself from the story to focus on the entertainment aspect, not worrying about which characters were real or fictional. It was worth it. The film’s well-crafted dialogue made it easy to follow the plot. The visuals also added to the experience, as the scenes conveyed additional subtext and character development alongside the dialogue.

The plot revolves around how British intelligence persuaded the Americans to join the Allies during World War II. German U-boats were preventing American ships from reaching Europe. To counter this, the British devised a plan to sink the U-boats by targeting their supply ship, which was docked in a neutral region. Since the area was neutral in the war, bombing it was not an option. Gus March-Phillipps and his team were tasked with destroying the supply ship. Operating on neutral soil meant they couldn’t be linked to the British government, they were entirely on their own. The film depicts their planning, failures, and improvisations, highlighting the political stakes and showing how the success of the war hinged on their mission.

With a moderate budget, it’s surprising that this film isn’t raking in millions at the box office. However, it will likely appear on streaming platforms soon, and I encourage you to watch it, it’s worth your time.

It’s easy to imagine how busy Winston Churchill must have been during the war, given all the events we’ve read about or seen in movies. Similarly, the Germans, as portrayed in many World War II books and films, must have been highly technologically advanced and well-prepared. Without worldwide efforts like this one, the war might have ended differently.