Guy Ritchie's The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Has A Connection To An Acting Legend
Guy Ritchie never sleeps, based on how many movies he manages to produce on a yearly basis — mostly without skipping a beat. The trailer for his latest film, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," seems to promise "Inglourious Basterds" by way of "The Gentlemen," with a balls-to-the-wall fun Nazi-killing movie featuring an ensemble cast of colorful characters that is (mostly) based on a true story.
Indeed, perhaps the most surprising part of the trailer is that "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" does not come from a Guy Ritchie movie title generator, but is instead the actual name of a real secret task force created during World War II by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and "James Bond" writer Ian Fleming. Officially called the Special Operations Executive group, this covert organization was assembled to do one thing: kill Nazis, but in secret. The clandestine missions that the SOE got involved in helped give birth to the modern black operation, and only highly skilled secret agents were involved.
As far as secrets go, one of the least secret Hollywood fun facts is that the real Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare involved a legendary actor — one whose life was more incredible, unbelievable, and exciting than even a Guy Ritchie movie. While Richie's "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" promises excitement and larger-than-life characters, none come close to the real legend that was Sir Christopher Lee.
The real Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Christopher Lee, a descendant of Emperor Charlemagne, is known to movie fans as one of the most prolific actors to ever live. He's a man who played some of the most iconic characters in the biggest franchises of all time, from a legendary and long stint as Dracula in the Hammer Films movies to joining the James Bond franchise as a (controversial) villain. That's all on top of his memorable roles in both the "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" movies.
This last one is important because Lee famously schooled Peter Jackson on the noise a person makes when getting stabbed in the back in the scene where Saruman dies in "The Return of the King." He knew that from his experience as a soldier serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II; between 1943 and 1945, he operated as an RAF liaison officer attached to the Special Air Service, as well as the Special Operations Executive.
As Lee told The Telegraph in 2011, "Let's just say I was in Special Forces and leave it at that. People can read into that what they like." Lee never really talked specifics about his wartime career, and he certainly didn't discourage the public from embellishing his past (think a much cooler British version of Chuck Norris jokes). Still, what could be more fitting for the man who played Dracula? Granted, he didn't serve as a fully-fledged operative of the SOE, but the fact that he still worked with them in any capacity is still impressive.
And if his acting and military careers weren't enough, Lee was also a rather good singer, releasing four heavy metal albums well into his 90s.
"The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" opens in theaters on April 19, 2024.