Peter Hitchens praises a lengthy French film about Charles de Gaulle for presenting Winston Churchill as a complicated, flawed and sometimes uncertain politician rather than as an infallible wartime hero. He argues that this more realistic portrayal offers an important lesson for Britain: national leaders should be judged honestly, including for their mistakes and weaknesses, rather than reduced to comforting patriotic myths.

The film, which runs for around three hours and is mainly in French, focuses on de Gaulle’s wartime struggle and his relationship with Churchill. Hitchens says its depiction of Churchill’s doubts, ambition and errors makes the film worthwhile despite its demanding length and language, and suggests that recognising Churchill’s flaws strengthens rather than diminishes an understanding of his historical importance.