This Forgotten Netflix War Thriller Is the Most Surprising True Story of WWII

There have been movies made about World War II since its conclusion, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more stories to tell. The conflict was the largest in human history, and was filled with countless stories of heroism, many of which have never been addressed. “Operation Mincemeat” was an operation by the British military told by author Ben Macintyre in a 2010 novel that described the unusual plan. Although the novel had helped to publicize a story that hadn’t received much attention, Netflix’s Operation Mincemeat brought to life one of World War II’s strangest moments with the help of some of the greatest British actors working today. Beyond the fact that Operation Mincemeat is legitimately informative, it’s also a great work of entertainment that understands why World War II is such a compelling cinematic subject.

Operation Mincemeat examines a particularly dangerous moment in World War II when the Allies had prepared an invasion of Sicily, which could’ve turned the tide of the war through the advantages of European expansion. In order to ensure that the attack is a surprise, Admiral John Godfrey (Jason Isaacs) came up with a strategy to leak false information about an invasion of Greece that would confuse the Nazis, forcing them to mount their defenses elsewhere. The only way to pass along the fake details to the Nazis was to create false plans that were placed on the body of a fallen soldier, who could be intercepted. The unlikely heroes of Operation Mincemeat are Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Flight Lieutenant Charles Christopher Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen), who are tasked with identifying the corpse and giving it the necessary preparations. While it is a war movie, first and foremost, Operation Mincemeat contains elements of the espionage and heist genres.

Netflix’s ‘Operation Mincemeat’ Uncovers an Undiscovered WWII True Story

Operation Mincemeat is effective at showing the substantial pressure put upon the Allied forces at this point in the war, which has already proven to be devastating and responsible for millions of lives lost. The film shows how the Allies became more interested in untraditional strategies, as to simply wage war through endless combat zones would only become more destructive. The irony of the film is that Montagu and Cholmondeley find that the body of a vagrant could end up being responsible for an operation that brings forward peace. Even though this man, who is disguised as a soldier, did not get to enjoy the virtues of life in his own time, he may be helpful in awarding those freedoms to countless others. Although there is some humor in how the film describes how inherently unusual this mission was, it also shows a respectfulness for the deceased that is necessary for the given subject.

Operation Mincemeat is distinct from other World War II films because it examines the unspoken heroism of those who were not in positions of authority. Among the complications of the secret mission is that Cholmondeley and Montagu understand that their actions will have to be classified in the immediate aftermath, and they may not receive the laudatory praise of their peers if their operation is successful. This opened the door to a deeper understanding of the ethics of spycraft, especially since future James Bond author Ian Fleming is a character in the film, played by Johnny Flynn. While being able to work in secret could have given Montagu and Cholmondeley the excuse to take a more ruthless, immoral approach, their insistence on remaining honorable shows the importance of retaining ethics. Montagu and Cholmondeley believe that victory cannot be attained through malicious means, as they don’t want to fall into the same path of deceit and manipulation that hallmarked their enemies.

Netflix’s ‘Operation Mincemeat’ Examines the Complexity of Victory

Image via Netflix

Operation Mincemeat is a terrific ensemble film, as it shows that all of those that participated in the operation were integral to its success, and that a war could not be won by simply one brave soldier. Firth has had some experience starring in World War II films, such as The King’s Speech and The Railway Man, but he gives one of his most underrated performances ever as Montagu. Montagu is distraught throughout because he is separated from his family, who have been sent to remain in safety in the United States, which makes him feel even more alienated as he remains in Europe. He’s also Jewish, and there have been rumors about what Adolf Hitler did to the population of Poland, even if the more disturbing details of the Holocaust were not uncovered by the Allies at this point in history. While both of these stresses weigh down on Montagu, Firth shows the integrity of a man who put his best foot forward and served as a role model for those under his command.

The Operation Mincemeat story has strangely become even more popular since the film’s release, as a Broadway musical of the same name became incredibly successful, even if it took a slightly more comical approach. However, Operation Mincemeat is unique among war films because it showed how many of the most pivotal moments in the conflict were made in meetings and boardrooms. While this may not seem as inherently exciting as a film like Saving Private Ryan that is set within the trenches, Operation Mincemeat showed that heroism takes many forms, and that some of the most valiant efforts are kept secret.