It is rare to find a film that feels like a ghost. You know the type—the kind of movie that exists in the periphery of history, mentioned in hushed tones by history buffs and cinephiles but largely ignored by the mainstream blockbuster machine. Then There Were Giants is exactly that. Released in 1986, this television film (often referred to as a miniseries in international markets) didn't have the CGI budget of a Marvel flick or the viral marketing of a modern Netflix drop. It had something better. It had the weight of the 20th century.
Honestly, if you haven't seen it, you're missing out on a masterclass in "Big History." This isn't just a movie about World War II. It’s a character study of three men who literally held the world in their hands: Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin.
The casting was, frankly, inspired. You had Michael Caine stepping into the shoes of Joseph Stalin. Think about that for a second. Caine, with that unmistakable London grit, playing the Soviet "Man of Steel." Then you had John Lithgow taking on FDR, and Ian McKellen—years before he was Gandalf or Magneto—portraying Winston Churchill. It’s a powerhouse trio. They don't make ensembles like this anymore. Not really.
The Big Three and the Room Where It Happened
What makes the Then There Were Giants movie stand out isn't the battlefield footage. We’ve seen enough grainy re-enactments of D-Day to last a lifetime. No, this film focuses on the high-stakes poker game played in Tehran and Yalta. It’s about the cigar smoke, the clinking of vodka glasses, and the terrifying reality that these three dudes were basically sketching the new borders of the world on a cocktail napkin.
The dialogue is sharp. It has to be. When you’re dealing with the Big Three, the tension isn't in the bullets; it's in the subtext. McKellen plays Churchill with this sort of restless, fading-empire energy. He knows Britain is bankrupt. He knows the Americans are the new bosses. And he definitely knows Stalin is a shark.
Caine’s Stalin is surprisingly chilling. He doesn't play him as a cartoon villain. He plays him as a pragmatist. A man who lost twenty million of his people and isn't about to let the West dictate the peace. It’s a performance that reminds you why Caine is a legend. He does more with a squint and a pipe-puff than most actors do with a five-minute monologue.
Then there’s Lithgow’s FDR. He’s the mediator. The guy trying to keep the marriage together while knowing he’s dying. There’s a specific scene—I think it’s during the Yalta negotiations—where you can see the physical toll on him. Lithgow nails that "charming but exhausted" vibe. It makes you realize how close the world came to just falling apart because one of these guys had a bad day or a stroke.
Why the 1980s Format Actually Worked
A lot of people dismiss 80s TV movies as "cheap." They aren't always wrong. But Then There Were Giants used its limitations as a strength. By keeping the camera tight on the faces of the leaders, the director created an atmosphere of claustrophobia. You feel trapped in those rooms with them.
The pacing is deliberate. It’s slow. Some might say too slow for today's TikTok-addled attention spans. But that slowness is the point. You’re watching the slow-motion carving of the Iron Curtain. You’re watching the seeds of the Cold War being planted while the guns of the Second World War are still firing.
Historical Accuracy vs. Dramatic License
Let’s get real for a second. Is it a documentary? No. It’s a dramatization. But compared to modern "historical" films that take wild liberties with facts just to make a point, this movie stays remarkably close to the memoirs of the people who were actually there.
- The Tehran Conference: The movie captures the awkwardness of the first meeting perfectly. Churchill was desperate for a Mediterranean strategy, while Stalin and FDR were basically focused on the Cross-Channel invasion (Overlord).
- The Polish Question: This is where the film gets dark. The betrayal of Poland—or the perceived betrayal—is a central theme. You see Churchill’s agony and Stalin’s cold indifference.
- The Health of the Leaders: The film doesn't shy away from the fact that these were old, sick men. Roosevelt’s declining health is a major plot point that adds a ticking-clock element to the diplomacy.
One of the most interesting things about the Then There Were Giants movie is how it portrays the shift in power. At the start, Churchill feels like the elder statesman. By the end, he’s marginalized. The "Giants" are shrinking, or rather, the world they built is becoming too big for them to control.
It’s also worth noting the production design. For a mid-80s production, the attention to detail in the meeting rooms and the period-appropriate costumes is top-tier. It doesn't feel like a costume party. It feels lived-in.
The Legacy of Then There Were Giants
Why does this movie keep popping up in discussions about historical cinema? Maybe because it’s a reminder of a time when political leaders were expected to be, well, giants. Whether you love them or hate them, the figures in this film were monumental.
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We live in an era of "small" politics. Everything is a tweet. Everything is a soundbite. Watching McKellen, Caine, and Lithgow debate the fate of Europe for three hours is a palate cleanser. It’s a reminder that history isn't just a series of accidents; it’s shaped by the personalities, egos, and flaws of individuals.
Where to Watch and What to Look For
Finding a high-quality version of this can be a bit of a hunt. It hasn't received the 4K Criterion treatment yet (which is a crime, honestly). You can usually find it on niche streaming services or tucked away in the "Historical Drama" sections of digital libraries.
When you do sit down to watch it, pay attention to the silence. The best moments aren't the shouting matches. They are the moments where the characters are just looking at each other across a table, realizing that the "peace" they are building is going to be a very cold one.
There is a specific scene involving a map and a red pencil. It’s simple. It’s quiet. And it’s the most terrifying thing in the whole movie. It’s the moment you realize that millions of lives were decided by a stroke of graphite.
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Moving Beyond the Screen: How to Engage with this History
If you’ve watched the film and find yourself falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, don't stop there. The Then There Were Giants movie is a gateway drug to some of the best historical writing out there.
- Read the primary sources: Look up the actual transcripts of the Yalta Conference. They are surprisingly readable and give you a sense of the "real" voices of these men.
- Check out the memoirs: Churchill’s The Second World War is biased as hell, but it’s beautifully written. It gives you the "Churchill version" of the movie’s events.
- Compare and Contrast: Watch this alongside more modern takes, like The Darkest Hour or Lincoln. Notice how the 80s style of storytelling relied more on acting and less on musical swells to tell you how to feel.
The real value of a film like this isn't just entertainment. It’s perspective. It forces you to ask: "If I were in that room, with that much pressure, could I have done any better?" Usually, the answer is a humbling "probably not."
To truly appreciate the nuance of this period, your next step should be to look into the Tehran Conference of 1943. It’s the least talked about of the "Big Three" meetings but arguably the most important because it’s where the personal chemistry—and the deep-seated mistrust—was first established. Understanding that dynamic makes the performances of Caine and McKellen in the later scenes of the movie hit ten times harder.
Search for the "Percentages Agreement" if you want to see the real-life version of that red pencil scene. It’s a piece of paper Churchill shoved across a table to Stalin, and it literally divided Europe into spheres of influence. It’s the kind of history that feels like fiction, which is exactly why this movie remains so compelling decades after its release.