Operation Mincemeat (2021)

Directed by: John Madden | 128 minutes | drama, war | Actors: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Rufus Wright, Jason Isaacs, Ruby Bentall, Charlotte Hamblin, Johnny Flynn, Lorne MacFadyen, Penelope Wilton, Mark Gatiss, Caspar Jennings, Hattie Morahan, Kelly Macdonald, Dolly Gadsdon, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Bott Alex Jennings, Ellie Haddington, Paul Lancaster, Simon Rouse, Paul Ritter

Just when you think everything about the Second World War has already been told, another jewel is unearthed. In this case, it’s about “Operation Mincemeat”, an Allied deception plan during World War II. The operation was led by Ewen Montagu, an officer of the British Military Intelligence Service, MI5. He described these in his book, published in 1953, “The Man Who Never Was”. Three years later, the film of the same name was released with Clifton Webb, who played the lead role as Ewen Montagu. Then in 2010 the book ‘Operation Mincemeat’ by the English writer Ben Macintyre was published. Script writer Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex,” “The Pacific”) was impressed by Macintyre’s book and gave it to director John Madden (“Shakespeare in Love,” “Miss Sloane”), with whom she was then working. After working on the script for about ten years, she took it to the big screen with John Madden, as director.

It is 1943 and the Second World War rages on. Winston Churchill has promised America and the Allies to invade Sicily by July of that year at the latest to clear the way to Europe. Only, Nazi Germany is not crazy and they know that Sicily is a strategic point. Thus is born the idea of ​​making Germany think that Greece, rather than Sicily, is being invaded. A committee is set up within MI5 to devise a plan to trick Germany. This committee includes Ewen Montagu, Charles Cholmondeley and Ian Fleming (yes, that Ian Fleming). Charles proposes to dump a corpse with false information (that the Allies will invade Greece) off the Spanish coast, in the hopes that it will reach the Germans and they will move their troops from Sicily to Greece accordingly. Although there is great doubt about the success of this absurd plan, especially as thousands of soldiers’ lives are put at risk, they are nevertheless allowed to carry out it. And so Operation Mincemeat comes into effect.

It remains astonishing in how many ways World War II was waged, other than its most visible form. It is also admirable how many people behind the scenes helped to think about how to win the war. ‘Operation Mincemeat’ is a good example of how strategy and tactics, and thus in this case deception, can save human lives. The special thing about this story is that it is both large and small, both macrocosmic and microcosmic. Humanity and man. The feedback loop between the large and the small, the large and small context, makes the whole thing an intensely personal journey.

We live in a time where deception, such as fake news, is increasingly used as a means to achieve certain goals. We no longer know what to believe and often the measure of truth gets lost in the storm of misinformation. ‘Operation Mincemeat’ is therefore very relevant for the times we live in now. In World War II, global deception was used to win a war and now it is used to win smaller daily battles. It also becomes clear that if you are engaged in deception, you become suspicious. After all, if you do it, how do you know you’re not a victim of it yourself?

Although World War II is a serious subject, there are moments in the film that border on comedy. And it’s understandable, given the absurdity of the plan, and its execution. John Madden and Michelle Ashford have managed to strike a healthy balance that keeps the seriousness of the case and the lives at stake on the radar. The film is slow at times where you expect more speed, but unfortunately feels rushed at some key moments.

A film is nothing without the characters and personalities that make it. And these are superbly performed in ‘Operation Mincemeat’ by Colin Firth (‘The King’s Speech’, ‘1917’) as Ewen Montagu and Matthew Macfadyen (‘The Assistant’) as Charles Cholmondeley. Colin Firth was born for this role. He interprets these with the necessary seriousness as well as with a certain playfulness. Matthew Macfadyan is also convincing as the eccentric Charles Cholmondeley who fights with his emotions behind a mask of English stoicism. Jason Isaacs, as the ever serious and weighty Admiral John Godfrey, commands attention with his presence and is the necessary polar opposite of the other two.

‘Operation Mincemeat’ is exciting. The success of this plan is literally of global importance and human lives are at stake. At the same time, there is a focus on the human interactions in which we recognize ourselves, so that we empathize even more with people. Even though we think we have an idea where the path ends, the journey there is a rollercoaster. The acting is of A-quality and you are sucked into the whirlpool of tension, and the emotions, which burn more and more fiercely. We also get a good idea of ​​where the James Bond stories originated. This is a film that you simply must have seen, so that you at least have a good idea of ​​what happened behind closed doors and secret rooms.