My Darling Clemmie

Review by Ben Judge | 15 Aug 2009

“Behind every great man stands a great woman.”

There are few greater men in British history than Winston Churchill – yet for many Britons two generations removed from the Second World War, Churchill can often appear a relic of Britain’s old aristocratic past, an imperialist who opposed Indian independence and who was defeated in the 1945 general election that ushered in the National Health Service.

The greatest success of My Darling Clemmie is, therefore, in humanising Britain’s great war hero; portraying Churchill as something deeper than simply a great orator and tactician. This is the story of the man behind the office, told by his wife Clementine. It is an affectionate portrait of a sometimes shy, always vivacious personality from the perspective of a deeply dedicated, loving wife.

There’s an honesty about My Darling Clemmie that is surprisingly touching. Such is Clementine’s palpable affection for her husband, her monologue carelessly reveals the little insecurities, imperfections and quirks of Churchill’s personality that she has long taken for granted.

Rohan McCulloch’s nuanced performance as Clemmie Churchill captures perfectly the stiff-upper-lipped stoicism and earnest innocence of an era swept away by the radical social and political movements of the 1960s. It is at times truly beautiful – and, as tragedy hits the Churchill household, it offers a moving insight into the lives of two people who left great footprints in the path of Britain’s history.