Dunkerque

A simple film, two stories, soldiers and civilians who did what needed to be done. None of the romance of "Mrs Minnever," but moving nonetheless.

I appreciated this film all the more for having seen "Pearl Harbor" a few months ago. I gave "Dunkirk" 8/10, maybe a little generous, because of the attention to detail and accuracy. The acting was better than adequate, and it was wonderful to see a youngish Bernard Lee. He was 49 when this film was released in 1958 -- there is a gap in his filmography from 41 to 45, so he probably served in the war... as did many of the other actors.

My favorite story of heroism in the 20th century happens to be the evacuation of the bulk of the British army from the beaches at Dunkirk. There was the United Kingdom which if they had not been rescued probably would have had to sue for peace with Nazi Germany despite Mr. Churchill's intentions to fight. The United Kingdom would have had nothing to fight with and World War II would have been over on the western front.

The Dunkirk story was touched on briefly in the American cinema in William Wyler's Mrs. Miniver. Walter Pidgeon who owned a small craft was asked to meet some friends at a local pub. Turns out they wanted him and his boat to cross the English channel and evacuate troops. It's one of the great scenes from that film boats feeding in from every tributary of Thames and the flotilla sailing out to sea. But it's only part of Mrs. Miniver.

The story is told from the perspective of the high command, but also from the ordinary tommy and from the civilians who helped. John Mills is a corporal who leads his small squad out of certain capture from the Germans. Richard Attenborough is a small craft owner like Walter Pidgeon who is a timid and frightened man, but summons up enough courage to help his country out in its darkest hour. Bernard Lee is a reporter who goes along with Attenborough to cover the story. All three meet on the beach at Dunkirk and go to the fates that await them and their country.

My favorite in the film is Attenborough, he plays his role with real conviction, representing as it were, the courage and determination of a people united to repel an evil.

Make no mistake about it, with the Royal Navy up over its head in other commitments, those people like Richard Attenborough in saving John Mills and others like him saved civilization itself. In many ways civilization owes them more than even the men of the RAF because they weren't in the armed forces, but civilians fighting for their homes and families as we did not see the like before or since.

Dunkirk is one of the best war films ever to come from the United Kingdom and a worthy tribute to the small boat owners who saved their army and their nation.

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 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 film is worth seeing as a good account of the Dunkirk evacuation. John Mills gives a fine performance. I agree with a previous comment that more time could have been devoted to the actual evacuation. However the time devoted to the group of UK soldiers moving through France helps to show conditions for the French people. Someone asked about where the Lock was. The Lock on the Thames where the small boatyard scenes were filmed is Teddington Lock. the suspension footbridge is still there as is the weir. Toughs Boatyard which is referred to in the film was on the River Thames at Teddington opposite the lock, it is now I believe demolished and been replaced by riverside apartments. Other scenes were filmed by the River Thames at Twickenham, along the embankment by Twickenham's Eel Pie Island. This still looks pretty much the same if you go there now.(Except for all the parked cars!

John