Often an old- designed, Nazi- killing frolic is just what the movies need. And that’s exactly what” The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” brings to the cinema. The film, pretty loosely based on the actual- life exploits of World War II American special operators, eschews politics in favor of humor, action, and plenty of Nazi- centered violence.
It details Operation Postmaster, a ruse to demonize the German U-boat danger by scuttling some of the essential supplies that allowed them to patrol the Atlantic for months at once and sink the merchant ships that kept Britain in the war. In order to do this, the motley crew from the early days of the British Special Operations Executive ( SOE ) was given the task of stifling German supply lines by attacking an important Italian tanker in Fernando Po, an island off the west coast of Africa.
The story makes a number of action-focused liberties with the traditional facts, including Operation Postmaster’s zero death toll in contrast to the film’s numerous Nazi murders, but the changes maintain a fast-paced action-oriented pace.
Henry Cavill portrays the semi-disgraced Major Gus March-Phillips, who could have been one of the James Bond character’s real-life inspirations, along with his team of accomplished misfits, including Irish protégé Henry Hayes ( Hero Fiennes Tiffin ), Danish commando Anders Lassen ( Alan Ritchson ), and Freddy Alvarez ( Henry Golding ), who plays the Irishman.
Because of their irresponsible past actions, ranging from willful disobedience to field executions and criminal arson, these men are chosen to carry out the dangerous, illegal mission that the British government unsanctioned due to its violation of Spanish neutrality. That makes them inconsequential, but also quite proficient in asymmetrical war. In fact, they are anything of a World War II Suicide Squad.
In a tribute to the’ 90s and aughts video scenery,” The Ministry of Impolite Warfare” is a film that always takes itself very significantly, despite being a war picture. All too often these days, traditional war movies are weighty- handed, contemporary- day message- laden, and openly antiwar in tenor and plot. Think Netflix’s” All Silent on the Eastern Front”, Ridley Scott’s” Napoleon“, and basically everything about America’s current problems. Ritchie’s taking on the type is refreshing: It eschews moral complexity for a strong moral compass, clearly takes a side ( the right one, I may add ), and is quite funny and humorous, despite the creative violence.
The movie portrays the protagonist as genuinely justified in their bloodlust for the foe, and it is staunchly both pro-British and anti-Nazi. The main German villain, Heinrich Luhr ( played very well by Til Schweiger ), is a severe antisemite who gets his rocks off torturing, sexually abusing, and killing local women. In short, he is n’t humanized in the fashion of Quentin Tarantino’s Colonel Hans Landa from” Inglourious Basterds”, in many ways a more highbrow version of this movie.
That may make the movie less interesting for discerning cinephiles, but it also makes it much more enjoyable for the average viewer. Our protagonists are forced to cling to post-murder emotion, and the morality of killing Nazis in war is never under question. Instead, they crack wise, compete for high scores, and essentially act like tigers playing with their food. The humor is darkly humorous, with the exception of an apprehension when Lassen pursues a roomful of Nazis with an axe and an ear-to-ear grin.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is diverse without being woken, in another throwback to an earlier era of film. That may seem a little paradoxical, but it makes perfect sense in the context of the story. Many characters who aid our Fearsome Fivesome are black, including a British special agent and local entrepreneur, Heron ( Babs Olusanmokun ), and a small army of African toughs led by the Eton- educated cricketer, status- seeker, and local noble Kambili Kalu ( Danny Sapani ).
This casting would be used in other movies to smack the viewer in the face with contemporary race dialogue or remove him from the historical frame. Race is barely mentioned in” The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” and the casting makes sense given that West Africa is the main focus of the action. Similarly, the female protagonist, Marjorie Stewart ( Eiza González ), is set up as a weapons ace, a slick talker, and an integral part of the mission. She is not just a simple love interest, but she is a strong female character that does n’t just make feminist walking jokes. She exerts all of her weight and is regarded as an essential member of the team.
Another powerful aspect of her character particularly resonates in 2024: her Jewishness. Stewart is portrayed as a powerless victim or a damsel in distress in the movie, but her particular conflict with the Nazis is that her German-Jewish family was one of the first to enter the concentration camps. Nor is she shown as an oppressor, as Jews are often portrayed in leftist cultural circles.
Instead, she is a powerful woman who can fend for herself, has a drive to defeat the odds, and never gives up, all of which are proven throughout the film. This portrayal of a self-sufficient and righteous Jewish woman is a much-needed riposte to the prevailing Hollywood culture following the national trauma of October 7 and the subsequent leftist attacks on Israel as a genocidal state for the crime of simply defending itself. Plus, she is very adept at killing Nazis.
The film’s more minor characters, including the future James Bond creator Ian Fleming ( Freddie Fox ), who was a key player in the early SOE, and the spymaster” M” ( Cary Elwes ), are well-acted and are able to keep the roaring pace of the movie going even in expository or connective scenes.
As with most Guy Ritchie flicks,” The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is incredibly stylish and is full of visual panache. The tropical island of Fernando Po is visualized beautifully, action scenes are well- directed and choreographed, and the costuming is inventive and fun. This war film is distinguished from much of the overly self-important fare in the genre by Ritchie’s trademark snappy dialogue and witty banter permeating the script and giving it a heist-film feel.
One of the only negatives in this otherwise enjoyable film is Rory Kinnear’s portrayal of Winston Churchill, who is an active character throughout. Kinnear’s writing is excellent, but he does n’t look anything like him and gives off a terrible impression that’s more appropriate for parody. It’s a shame, as Kinnear is a good actor and Churchill is, well, Churchill.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a highly enjoyable movie, but that lone item of detraction does nothing to diminish that. Beyond the obvious good versus evil dichotomy of World War II, the narrative flourishes and the viewer stays in the well-paced and expertly written narrative arc.
Diversity can be present in the movie in a perfectly appropriate way for the historical setting or in a compelling way to support the characters. Particularly in today’s society, the portrayal of Jewish people as a potent force for good drives home.
Ritchie’s directing brings style, violence, and humor to the film, adapting a fascinating but somewhat banal historical footnote into a thrilling, action- packed romp with interesting characters and a properly staked plot. ” The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” feels like nothing else in theaters. In that, it is truly a return to an earlier, better era of movies.
Mike Coté is a writer and podcaster focusing on history, Great Power rivalry, and geopolitics. He has also written for National Review and The National Interest, blogs at rationalpolicy .com, and can be found on Twitter @ratlpolicy.
