Young Winston

Richard Attenborough’s renowned, star-studded historical biopic follows the early years of one of Britain’s most beloved and controversial figures – Winston Churchill. Writer-producer Carl Foreman (High Noon, The Bridge on the River Kwai) was approached by Churchill himself, who suggested his own book, My Early Life: A Roving Commission, would make a good film. The result is a lavish and beautifully detailed drama, with Simon Ward in the lead role, detailing Churchill’s service as a cavalry officer in India and the Sudan, as a war correspondent in the Second Boer War, and his election to Parliament at the age of 26. Forman and Attenborough assembled a sterling cast in support: Robert Shaw, Anne Bancroft, Jack Hawkins, Ian Holm, Anthony Hopkins, Patrick Magee, Edward Woodward, and John Mills add weight to Attenborough’s vision of the man and the myth. INDICATOR STANDARD EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES High Definition remasterOriginal mono audioThe John Player Lecture with Richard Attenborough (1971, 78 mins): the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with film critic Dilys Powell at London’s National Film TheatreReflections of a Director (2006, 13 mins): archival interview with AttenboroughA National Hero Brought to Life (2006, 17 mins): archival interview with actor Simon Ward on his performance as Winston ChurchillCamel Blues (2019, 30 mins): assistant director William P Cartlidge remembers working with Attenborough and writer-producer Carl ForemanStars and Sand (2019, 9 mins): second assistant director Brian Cook discusses the star-studded castMy Kingdom for a Horse (2019, 11 mins): Vic Armstrong recalls his work as Ward’s stunt double and his role as horse wrangler for the filmFires in the Sky (2019, 6 mins): special effects artist John Richardson on the challenges of filming in Wales, Morocco, and Blenheim PalaceMaking It Up (2019, 3 mins): interview with make-up artist Robin GranthamDeleted scenes (7 mins): five scenes from the ‘roadshow’ version, including the alternative ending with Winston and Randolph ChurchillUS Premiere Footage (1972, 16 mins, mute): rare and unseen material featuring Attenborough, Foreman, Ward, Robert Shaw, Edward G Robinson, and othersOriginal theatrical trailerImage galleries: publicity and promotional materialNew and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing