Dunkerque

The night before I went to see the 2017 film of the events I watched this film again.It was everything that the new film is not.A faithful retelling of events told in an involving but not over emotional way.The scale of production may not have been as large as the new film,but you learned a lot more.Peopled with many fine actors including Mills,Attenborough and Lee.It captures the mood of the times which the new film does not.

This presents a concise account of the Dunkirk operation. It avoids the "stuff upper lip" mentality that was present in a great deal of British War films of this time (with some exceptions). The film presents two separate stories around the Dunkirk operation: the lost soldiers (led by the NCO John Mills) and the cynical civilian reporter (Bernard Lee). They finally meet up on the beach at Dunkirk. A very well directed Ealing Film.

The story of the famous evacuation of British forces from the beaches of Dunkirk in May/June 1940. Seen through the eyes of a squad of infantrymen, and their leader, Corporal Binns, in particular, as well as civilians who helped evacuate the soldiers. Also covers the high-level decisions as well as the individual sacrifices that were made.

History will record the Battle of Dunkirk as a British/Allied defeat, as the Germans ultimately captured the pocket and inflicted over 60,000 casualties on the Allies. However, over 300,000 Allied troops escaped, living to fight another day. This, and the method to evacuate them - the large scale use of civilian craft of all shapes and sizes, bolstered British morale and ultimately kept Britain in the war.

The inspirational nature of the event is captured well in this movie, as are the actions during and leading up to it. Quite gritty in showing the bravery involved, sacrifices made and against-the- odds nature of the event.

Good performances by the main actors - John Mills as Corporal Binns and Richard Attenborough as John Holden. Supporting cast are a mixed bag, varying from solid to serious over-acting.

Overall, a great depiction of a momentous event.

Dunkirk is one of the best war movies ever made.

John Mills puts in a great performance as Tubby Binns, as does Bernard Lee as private boat owner "doing his bit" for the country. I thought some of the best scenes were around the battle with the artillery battery in the woods. Some good special effects and totally believable scenes. The futility of war is also shown to good effect when the Stukas arrive and bomb the battery.

One thing that really amazed me, was the inclusion of a "real" German halftrack during the scene where the bridge was being demolished. For a '50's war movie this is a special treat, much better than seeing the usual American halftracks with big crosses on their sides.

All in all, one of my favourite war movies, one that somehow captures the ambiance of those terrible times.

See it – A surprisingly great war film, this movie tells two different stories. One is about a group of British soldiers trapped behind enemy lines, desperately trying to make their way to the French coast. Meanwhile, on the other side of the channel, English civilians bravely prepare to help with the mass evacuation at Dunkirk. Near the end, the two stories converge "Tarantino style." There aren't many household names in this one. Richard Attenborough headlines a cast of British actors that have recognizable faces but are relatively unknown to Americans. There is quite a bit of combat in the middle stage of the film as the British soldiers dart from hedge to farmhouse to avoid capture by the Jerries. The pace of the movie slows toward the end, but this is a historically accurate and memorable retelling of real heroes who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. 3 out of 5 action rating.