27 Jul Dunkirk 2017
(2017) With much anticipation, I read reviews written by professional critics, almost all of them 4 or 5 stars. As a student of World War II, I do love the now legendary story of the evacuation of Dunkirk. In 1940, 300,000 stranded soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, were rescued by a flotilla of small civilian boats from across the Channel. The event inspired Winston Churchill’s famous “We shall fight them on the beaches” speech.
This fictionalized telling of the event has three parallel stories: The Mole, The Air, and The Sea.
The “mole” is not a secret informer but the long narrow pier that precariously held the troops waiting to be rescued. The main character in this section was Tommy, a soldier desperately trying to get home.
The cinematography, the effects, the music all conveyed the horror of what was happening. I put in my earplugs and thought of the word “interminable.” I’m sure the reality in 1940 was worse. I cared about what was happening to the masses of terrified young men but I quickly realized I didn’t care much about Tommy.
The star of the film was the crew of the featured fishing boat racing across the Channel. I wished for more.
The Spitfires were a close second.
During the closing credits, I did not stand and clap as I did at the end of Hackshaw Ridge.
I exited quietly and respectfully, grateful that a filmmaker had brought attention to this important part of WWII history. Wishing I had loved it.
Screenplay and direction by Christopher Nolan.
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