Dunkirk

I just got home. One of the best war movies I've seen in a long while.

As stated before, the cennamatogtapy and soundtrack were incredible. That feeling of absolute helplessness those boys had waiting on that windy, cold beach was uncomfortable just watching it.

But on top of that, it was of those movies that made you feel uplifted and hopeful when you left the theater.

The Spitfire at the end was probably overdone, but at least Ben Affleck did not climb out of it this time.....

 

Well I can honestly say I was looking forward to this movie but was greatly disappointed. I cannot understand how so many people are giving it rave reviews elsewhere on the net. To me it was slow and very PC (Politically Correct) which I personally hate. Altering history to fit someone's political agenda annoys me greatly.
It isn't subtle either, with the very beginning of the film telling us that the "enemy" has overtaken most of Europe along with most of France and that Dunkirk is the last pocket of resistance where all the British and French troops have gathered. Now this may seem obvious to everyone here (and me) in this forum that this enemy is Germany but for someone in their 20's with no interest in WW2 and just wanting to see a good film would struggle to make sense of it. This is sad as it was a missed opportunity to educate the younger generation what previous generations went through.
Another thing to consider is this film has a worldwide release, as I watched it in Asia with people from China, Russia and Thailand also in the audience. I wonder what sense they made of it all? Strangely there was not one 'enemy' soldier visible only planes from the Luftwaffe and blurred heavily out of focus images at the end of the film.
Another gripe for me was to see women travelling in the flotilla of small boats towards the beaches as I am almost sure that none made the crossing (if I am wrong here please correct me if you have proof).
Also the only answer given for the reason there was very few RAF was that they were conserving their planes for the Battle of Britain which was yet to come. No mention of the fact they were fighting the German Luftwaffe further inland.

If it wasn't for the cinematography I would give the film just 3 out of 10 as it is I would give it a 6. But it could have been so much better.

 

"Dunkirk is the last pocket of resistance where all the British and French troops have gathered. "

Not quite true.

The French still had an army in the field fighting the Germans.

Approximately 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Dutch troops were evacuated at Dunkirk but most of the French returned to France within a week to join the French forces still fighting. British ships transported the French to ports in Normandy and Brittany. About 3000 French stayed in England to join the Free French. Altogether approximately 68,000 British soldiers had been left behind in France with about 40,000 of them in the vicinity of Dunkirk. About 40,000 French soldiers left behind were captured at Dunkirk.

Britain and France had agreed not to make a separate peace however only about half the repatriated French had rejoined the fight when France surrendered. There were feeling in France that the British had betrayed them because the British evacuated instead of counterattacking.

While in bad shape from the mauling by the Germans, the French could have held out longer and possibly stopped the Germans from taking the south of France thus preventing ultimate defeat.

Or maybe not.

British General Alan Brooke returned to France to command the remaining British forces. He deemed the situation untenable and demanded that the remaining British be evacuated. His demand was rejected on the premise that a British presence was needed to show support for the French.

The British had left their equipment behind so were not capable of rejoining the fight at that time.

 

Highway70 "Dunkirk is the last pocket of resistance where all the British and French troops have gathered"
These were not my words but the text description at the start of the film.
Have you seen the film? If so what did you think of it?

 

I'm in the same boat.

Loved the movie, but could have done without the Spitfire scene at the end where he glided around for what seemed like an hour or two with no fuel etc. That was a bit too hollywood for me, very unrealistic, especially given how well the rest of the movie meshed together.

 

If you watch carefully in final battle of SPR, While Hank's character is indeed firing on the Tiger with his sidearm, just as the tank explodes there is a P-51 coming out of a dive behind the tank and flying along the line of the tank and Hank's. I took this to mean that in actuality it was the plane coming from behind that actually destroyed the tank while he fired ineffectually, but defiantly. Now granted a Mustang was a less than ideal ground attack plane and P-47 would have been more believable, but there are only so many flyable warbirds out there and sometimes they just can't get every detail absolutely correct.

 

That final scene in SPR seemed to play off that confusion. If you watch it again, Hanks character in the scene actually was initially stunned when the Tiger exploded than the Mustang pulled into the shot. I remember being relieved, lol.

 

No sticky bombs left

 

Very thorough review. For me, its hard to think that someone in their 20s wouldn't know who the enemy were, but then again I can sorta see it.

The RAF fighting the Germans further inland, I've also research that a lot too. In my book, the protagonist, Harry, gets shot down doing just that. It's too bad they could of added a few extra lines of dialogue to explain that.

 

I heard some people comment about this today. I am usually first to call PC BS when I see it, but I just don't see it in this case.

I just don't see the motive I guess. Germans are White Europeans who cause a lot of death and destruction back then...i.e, Red Meat for the PC crowd.

 

I have tried to see every war movie from back and white to today and still trying. Saw this opening week and I wasn't too impressed.

 

Where did you see it? which state? I saw it in XD so no way we could hear anyone over it. But I have found in every movie you got the kids making out, the idiots talking, the loud eaters, the coughers(seems no one covers their mouths anymore). Sucks, but seems to come with the experience.

 

It's art.
Not a documentary.
Hang the odd historical niggle.
A race against time, a fantastic score, and of a far higher order than most war films, because it isn't especially a war film, despite all the war.
Not a blockbuster, or swamped in exposition and cheese. Proper cinematic art.
Can't say I particularly 'enjoyed' the experience, but I loved the film.

 

Well said.