Saturday, July 22, 2017

Dunkirk




Very often, I don't like films that the critics rave about but this time I am in agreement: the newly released movie "Dunkirk" is excellent!  The film is based on an original screenplay by the man who also directed it- Christopher Nolan.  In 1998, during the filming of his first movie "Following", he and his then girlfriend (now his wife, Emma Thomas) went across the English channel by boat to retrace the journey of the "little ships" of Dunkirk.  This is the first movie that Christopher Nolan has done based on a true historical account, the characters are fiction but the story is very real...

I should hope that everyone knows about the miracle of Dunkirk!
If not, I will direct you to read about it just here. 

Two things I want to tell you that won't "spoil" it for you but should actually help you to understand it a bit better...
  First,  You should know about a "mole".  A mole is built out onto the harbor for protection. It is large, usually built of stone,  similar to a pier but water cannot flow freely beneath it.  It was from the moles that many of the men were taken off. (The docks could not be used, they had been too badly damaged.)


Secondly, after the British had been evacuated, Churchill insisted on going back for the French troops.  Over 26,000 French soldiers were rescued on June 4, 1940.  (Sadly, between 30,000 to 40,000 were left behind and taken prisoner by the Germans.)

From May 27-June 4, 1940, the total men that were evacuated were 338,226. 

I know I haven't said too much about the movie, but that is because I want you to see it for yourself.  Remember that we know what came afterward now, but at the time, it must have been seemed very dark for the British Isles.  This film makes you feel as if you are living in that time and can experience the despair but then, the hope as the miracle of Dunkirk is revealed.  The boost of morale that this generated cannot be underestimated.








41 comments:

  1. I read that it is a good movie. I don't watch war movies so I won't see it.

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    1. It is not really a war movie, if you can believe it. It is more of a edge of your seat, what will happen next kind of film...and the way that it is filmed, with very little dialogue, it is almost a silent movie. Amazingly done, even those who don't watch war movies on principle should watch this one.

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  2. We went last night Kay, and I totally agree with you. It is an exceptional movie, brilliantly filmed. I felt I was there on the beach with them, tense with anxiety. When I was a little girl the book The Snow Goose was popular, set against the events of Dunkirk, and I read it when I was a little older. After coming home from the film I downloaded The Snow Goose on my kindle to read it again.

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    1. I have never heard of that book before so I thank you telling me about it!
      Wasn't the film amazing? Do you know of the website- Internet Movie Data Base...IMDB for short? I like to look up movie there and read the background of a film.
      Funny to me, at the premiere of the film in London there were veterans there in their mid 90's who were those who had been taken off at Dunkirk, they liked the movie but said that they didn't remember the bombing being so loud! Christopher Nolan was amused!
      LOVE that they had the vets there at the premiere!

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  3. Such an amazing story, i'm glad the film did it justice.

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    1. The film was not a documentary at all but still, I think it honored the story in a very respectful manner. It isn't presented from the viewpoint of any of the big brass in charge, rather it is told from the foot soldier, the RAF pilot and the pilot of one of the little ships- land, sea and air.

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  4. This is one I'm truly looking forward to.

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    1. I think you will like it. Let me know if you see it.

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  5. "Dunkirk" just opened here this weekend and I'll be seeing it in a couple of weeks or so when I'm back from a little trip. It's getting RAVE reviews here in Canada. Funnily enough, the other night My Rare One and I rented the British movie "Their Finest" in which the movie being made by the propaganda department concerned the rescue at Dunkirk. I'm pretty sure you've talked about "Their Finest" on your blog but I couldn't find the post again when I looked. We enjoyed that film very much!

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    1. I can never remember titles of books. NEVER! (I just looked at a whole list of books on the subject and don't see the one that I wrote about. I only just learned about using a "tag" on my posts but now, I can't remember to do them!)
      Still, I am glad you will see the film. I think you will like it.
      By the way, one of the best books..."Reach For The Sky" by Douglas Bader. It was also made into a film, well known by the Brits, I imagine.

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  6. Sounds like a wonderful movie and I bet my hubby would like it too..we usually have different tastes in movies! Thanks for the heads up on it!

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    1. My husband and I both thought this film was very moving, I bet you and your hubby would too.

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  7. The film is receiving tremendous reviews all round. It's an incredible story...and one about which our younger generation should be made aware. Let it never be forgotten what happened in 1940....

    The story reads like fiction...but as the saying goes..."fact is stranger than fiction"....and what occurred at Dunkirk back in 1940 proves that saying 400,000-fold!

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    1. I didn't read any reviews on it until after we got back from seeing it. For once, I agree with the great reviews!
      There are so many films that could be made from true stories. "400,000 fold", that is right!

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  8. And I just read Patricia's comment above....I have loved Paul Gallico's "The Snow Goose" since I was a child. A beautiful, beautiful story. We used to listen to it on the radio...the version of the story we listened to back then in the 50s was narrated by Herbert Marshall. The dulcet tones.timbre of Marshall's voice still echo in my mind to this day.

    In 1971, Richard Harris and Jenny Argutter were in the British-made TV movie of the wonderful, emotion-filled story.

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    1. Thanks for telling me that! Also, I have never heard or seen the movie with Richard Harris and Jenny Agutter. I just looked it up and she earned an EMMY award for that role!

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  9. My 16 year old daughter went with her friends Friday evening, initially drawn by the fact that Harry Styles was in it.... teenagers, lol. But she said it was very moving and emotional. I haven't seen it yet, but it's on my list. There is so much to be learned by history. Have a wonderful week!

    Blessings,
    Jill

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    1. Yes, Jill! Harry Styles was very good in it but guess what! According to IMDB, he had to have a personal bodyguard on the set during filming to protect him from all the young girls trying to get to him! :-)
      Your daughter is correct, the film IS moving and emotional. Your comment makes me see why Christopher Nolan might have chosen Harry Styles for this film. it would get the young folks there but then, they will learn from it too.

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  10. Hi Kay - it's had great reviews here ... though inevitably some disparaging thoughts re the French not being featured too much. I'm going on Wednesday to see it - "the little ships" have been in my mind for a few years now, probably 2010 - sixty years on ... as something very important.

    It's amazing that they've rescued and restored little boats that went across in 1940 - and great they've made a movie for us to get an idea of the challenges they faced.

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. The French not being featured too much? On the contrary...no, I can't say too much as it might spoil it a bit for those who haven't seen it. There are only a few times that the French are mentioned but those times are important and folks need to pay attention!
      After all, this is a film and not a documentary of the event, it makes you think and imagine and wonder of what it must have been like and how many movies do that these days?

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  11. I think that I am going to give this one a miss, in spite of its very important topic. Maybe you remember that I have been reading several books set in or about WWI; for instance this one where you commented, too.
    I think I'll leave it at that for now, but thank you anyway for a very good review that manages to convey how you feel about the movie without revealing too much.

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    1. And of course I have also been reading lots about WWII. It is, by the way, a worrying tendency here in Germany that all those young people coming in from different countries are unaware and/or not interested in our history, which is largely defined by the two World Wars. They often have anti-semitic and racist tendencies, fired by their beliefs (not all Muslims are like that, of course, but it is a strong tendency in their community). I have read reports from teachers at school who said they couldn't believe how little the young people knew - and cared - about these things.

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    2. Even the trailer that I chose from YouTube doesn't reveal anything! I want to have people to watch it and see it for themselves.
      Now, I KNOW you say that you will give this movie a "miss" but honestly, I think you will agree with me this this film is very much one that is worth seeing.
      Richard and I were stunned by it, it was just that good.
      I find young people very strange these days, more interested in their "selfies" and photos of what they have eaten for lunch, than anything else! Not all young ones, of course, but a great many.
      So, of course, you don't HAVE to see this film...but please, do! :-) I would really love to read YOUR review of it!

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  12. I think of Dunkirk as a miracle. I go to so few movies nowadays, but perhaps I will go to see this one.

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    1. If you go to that IMDB site, you will see that the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral was the first to call it "The Miracle of Dunkirk"!
      Richard and I hardly ever see a film but we were glad we saw this one.

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  13. It is an incredible story that needs to be told. I just hope that they can do a good job with it. This is the kind of movie that will either be great or terrible depending on how it's handled.

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    1. This was a good one. It is not over the top with Hollywood type of effects and the director didn't even use any CG, which I really appreciated! It really was a very old fashioned type of film making, after I saw it, I said that I bet Charlie Chaplin would have liked it.

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  14. Haven't seen the movie but did hear about the landing there when my dad was in WWII. He said he waded out in the water and then had to march miles and miles with wet feet. It was definitely a changing point in the war and for my dad. He spent months in hospital from the shrapnel wounds he received.

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    1. If your Dad was in the D Days landing, then he is a HERO.
      We need to have more true stories just like the one that you have shared above... we cannot forget them!

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  15. We have talked about seeing that movie thanks for the review.
    Cathy

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    1. Hi Cathy!
      It's not much of a review but I didn't want to say too much and spoil it.

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  16. It looks as if we might well be returning to an isolated island nation again :o) I'll look out for the film. That's one thing I hate about certain trailers for films where they give you almost the entire plot. Far better to give you a quick taste of one small event in it rather than the entire ice-cream in a three minute mouthful. Less is more as they say.

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    1. Oh dear, I know what you mean about an isolated island nation, the same applies to the USA, we have a president who wants to PUT AMERICA FIRST.
      Let me know if you see the film!

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  17. I'll definitely go see that.

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  18. I really want to see this movie. I let my husband go see it yesterday with his buddies, but I'm hoping he will go see it again with me. My little bit of knowledge of Dunkirk is from the history channel and movies like Mrs. Miniver and others.

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    1. I am glad you want to see it too. I have told other women it is a good film and they always say the same thing, that they don't think they would like it but their husbands would. I really like books and films based on true events like this one, and if they are inspiring, all the better.

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  19. My son told me he was going to see it. I promised not to tell him what happened... :-) Joking aside, it does look like a good movie.

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    1. That is another reason why this film is so good, you know the story already but you are still on the edge of your seat.
      Watch it, you will agree, I think.

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  20. I really want to see the movie "Dunkirk." I visited Dunkirk the first time I was in France. It was an emotionally powerful event for me as I walked along the beach and explored some old bunkers. Of course I was thinking of the little boats that rescued so many.

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    1. "The first time I was in France"...how I long to write those words!
      Louise, you MUST see this film, promise me you will! It is important to see this at the theatre, don't wait to see it on TV!

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