Just a year after "The Covenant," director Guy Ritchie returns with his latest film, "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare." Is it a spy thriller, a heist movie, or a war epic? "The Covenant" marked his first foray into war films. At the same time, he dabbled in espionage with "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre," making "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" seem like a comprehensive exam. This time, Guy Ritchie succeeds, turning the dishonorable underground missions of the British government during World War II into a lively wartime party.
With World War II raging on, the isolated island of Britain fights alone, while America remains skeptical about joining the war. The political landscape in Britain is divided between the pro-war and appeasement factions. Meanwhile, the Nazis, with their U-boat advantage, control maritime shipping, leaving America unable to support Britain. Winston Churchill, leading the pro-war faction, needs to break the Nazi blockade at sea. He assigns a group of secret soldiers to sabotage the Nazi submarine supply chain in Africa. Britain denies the existence of this squad, and the Nazis are determined to eliminate them, but these ragtag soldiers... are looking forward to killing with gusto.
A Madcap Version of "Inglourious Basterds"
In "Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre," Guy Ritchie displayed a sense of joy reminiscent of 007 films, with the standout character not being the deadly Jason Statham but the witty Aubrey Plaza. In "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare," this sense of joy is even more abundant: the protagonists kill with glee, joke while killing, and enjoy executing impossible missions.
Theoretically, this shouldn't work, as we've theoretically seen "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" countless times before. Many predecessors of this film formula, from "The Dirty Dozen" in 1967 onward, have played out variations of the "ragtag army penetrates enemy stronghold to complete a suicidal mission" theme, even spilling over into the superhero realm with two "Suicide Squad" films.
But what we're talking about here is Guy Ritchie who has released four films in the past four years. While his recent films may not have made as much money as "Aladdin," he still has studios willing to support him due to his prolific output and unique Guy Ritchie style. And "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is no exception... It's a different breed within the "The Dirty Dozen" lineage, brimming with familiar Guy Ritchie vibes... It deliberately defies every constant of "The Dirty Dozen" formula.
While these individuals, whether they be archers, pyromaniacs who love explosions, or those electrocuted by the Nazis until they bleed, all hate the Nazis, their hatred isn't so great that it can't be compensated for by killing. On the contrary, killing Nazis has become their favorite pastime, a way to relax and relieve stress, and the blood feuds are just a few lines of dialogue, hardly affecting their mental state.
So, "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" looks a lot like a zany version of "Inglourious Basterds," but "Inglourious Basterds" is still a war tragedy wrapped in madness, fundamentally a tale of a lone girl seeking revenge for her slaughtered family. Its exaggerated scenes of slaughter are motivated by hatred for the Nazis and Quentin Tarantino's desire to rewrite history through the magic of cinema. "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare," on the other hand, simply revels in the pleasure of killing Nazis, much like a game of "Return to Castle Wolfenstein."
Is it shallow? Perhaps, but "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is not just about this trick, and more importantly, it's genuinely enjoyable, offering entertainment value in abundance. Henry Cavill is a poor man's James Bond, sticking out his tongue when shooting German soldiers as if a rock star were wildly strumming a guitar on stage; Hero Fiennes-Tiffin is his loyal sidekick, dutifully executing missions without a hint of the romantic rebellion he showed in the "After" series. But what Guy Ritchie wants you to see is their carefree joy in killing and how effortlessly they dispatch these German scoundrels.
Challenging Three Different Movie Genres Simultaneously
As mentioned earlier, "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is Guy Ritchie's exam because it's a combination of three films: Henry Cavill's team story is a joyful version of "Inglourious Basterds," a fun war action movie; Eiza González and Babs Olusanmokun's subplot is a standard spy thriller; and Winston Churchill's part is a historical film.
This film bucks Guy Ritchie's past style by making Eiza González more charming—Guy Ritchie's films have always been a purely male world. She plays intelligence officer Marjorie, who infiltrates the Nazi camp to gather intelligence and can't communicate with bullets. She must rely on her sexiness, wit, and charm to pique the interest of the Nazi boss. This character is more severe than the motley crew. Still, this plotline, full of intrigue, also intersperses many laughs in the suspenseful atmosphere, and Eiza González's on-screen charisma adds a lot of persuasiveness to this character.
"The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is adapted from the non-fiction book "Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII." Unexpectedly, Guy Ritchie, who rarely touches historical subjects, presents a segment of Winston Churchill's unwavering fight against war in this film, interwoven with another segment about history's most famous spy writer. This may be the British director's most patriotic attempt yet, given his penchant for themes of the underworld and lower classes.
A Feast, Two Hours, Three Flavors—"The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is Guy Ritchie's bold challenge to the formula of genre films. You won't see the plot twists he's been good at in the past, but he excels at controlling the rhythm of commercial cinema. Its surprises come from subverting traditional genre formulas and making your favorite actors more charming in the film.
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