dncorp Facts, After World War 1, The Spanish Flu wiped out most of the young that would have grown up to be age 17 to 29 during World War 2, the Main Characters of Dunkirk 2017 would not have existed, this is why all the "Old People" in Dunkirk 1958.Mentioned in Dunkirk 1958 is Guns or Butter, the Germans chose Guns, We (British) chose Butter, now look where we (British) are at (Dunkirk). After World War 1, most Nations cut their Defense Budgets, the British, French, U.S. and other U.S. Allies would be only equipped with Obsolete World War 1 equipment, example, the U.S. Navy was stuck with 1911-1927 Battlerams (not Battleships) at Pearl Harbor Oahu, U.S. Territory of Hawaii. While the Germans and Japanese increased their Defense Spending to get their Nations Out of the 1929 to 1939 Global Great Depression.The French spent most of their Nations Wealth on outdated World War 1 idea of building a "Static Defense" as the Maginot Line and decreased the numbers of French Military Personnel, while the Germans built their Modern World War 2 highly mobile "Blitzkrieg" Armies.The small French Military and British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F., 1 Million) would occupy Belgium's Forests with their Flank being the Maginot Line or be sent north to Holland, Northern Europe, The Germans easily defeated the Maginot Line by bypassing the Maginot Line, crushing the small French Army, the British Officers being inept (only trained to take Orders, no Initiative nor Decision Making) Ordered a Retreat from their Defensive Positions, as the British did not trust the Belgium Military Forces to hold. The Forces between the Maginot Line and the Sea collapsed as almost 1 Million British Military Retreated, instead of attacking the Flanks of the German Blitzkrieg heading Southeast.The German Officers decided to Regroup, taking Days, this was depicted in Dunkirk 1958, as a British Squad had to sneak thru the German Lines, the Germans were "Camping" taking a long break while ammunition, fuel, supplies caught up to them. The near deafening sound of German Bomber Formations to bomb the British and British Allied Forces to the South of Calais is depicted in Dunkirk 1958 and not in Dunkirk 2017.The British Officer being inept allowed the Germans to Regroup, Resupply, Refuel, Rearm, for Days, instead of attacking the Germans low on fuel, ammunition, food and water. The Germans then reoriented the German Units to surround Dunkirk cutting off the British from the Port of Calais while the Main part of the German Armies headed southeast towards Paris. This was depicted on maps, a British Officer briefing the News Reporters lying to the News Reporters earlier.Most British Military (Aircraft Recognition Training) and most British Civilians knew the aircraft of World War 2, the Heinkels were not used at Dunkirk, the Focke Wolf 200, and Junkers JU-88, Dornier 17 were. Cheaper Hawker Hurricanes not extremely expensive Supermarine Spitfires were used at Dunkirk. Most British Aircraft and Ships were to the West of England to support and protect the Strategic British Convoys, required to feed the British Civilians.The Huge Formations of Heinkel 111s were heading southeast to bomb the crap out of the French and British Military Forces between Calais and Paris. Not attack the Beaches like depicted in Fictional Dunkirk 2017. Just like Dunkirk 2017 shows Supermarine Spitfires (about 300 at that time) and not Hawker Hurricanes (709), the Supermarine Spitfires were held back for "Home Defense of the British Isles", and to provide Aircover for the British Strategic Convoys going to and from the U.S., while the German U Boats controlled West of the British Isles, until the British and American Convoys could get to the British Aircover of the Supermarine Spitfires, and later on the longer range American B-25s to see and attack the German U Boats.

philedwardsc Film Dunkirk (Directed by Robert Nolan). Me and my wife went to see it. (we are avid war film and war documentary watchers). Most noticeable right from the start was the constant "booming" and "hissing" background sound throughout the film. We found this was annoyingly intrusive, and sounded like the story was building up to a climactic event - which never came. (it was actually a welcome break to hear the very scary screaming sound of the Stuka bombers diving into attack!). The special effects were great, but the story was a bit of a mishmash. We found the cinematography a bit too "clinically" clean. The three spitfires flew in perfect formation without any normal undulations in their flight. They turned in perfect unison, and they all looked as though they had just flown directly out of the factory! The ships, small boats)and most of the troops (especially the soldiers helmets) all looked brand new and unmarked! When hit by bombs, almost all the ships rolled over to one side before sinking. None settled on the shallow seabed. We never really experienced the true scale of the event. There wasn't enough men, or abandoned equipment on the beaches. Also, because the story was portrayed from three different perspectives (Army, Navy and Air Force)we couldn't "feel" for the characters. No "one" character stood out. We didn't feel as emotional as we've felt watching some other war films. Finally, we didn't see one single German soldier (apart from a couple of blurry images at the end - when the downed pilot was captured), and the word "German" or "Nazis" was never once uttered. (even on the pamphlets that the Germans dropped on Dunkirk. We thought the film wasn't half as good as the 1958 Leslie Norman version with John Mills.

tomgillespie2002 Surprisingly, precious few films exist depicting the events of Operation Dynamo during World War II. The emergency evacuation of thousands of British, French and Belgian soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk while the Nazis closed in around them was described as a "colossal military blunder" by Winston Churchill and could have ended the war there and then. However, the assistance of hundreds of civilians who sailed from the south of England in a small armada of speedboats, yachts and fishing boats to rescue their battered allies provided a united front in what was then dubbed the 'Phoney War' and an astonishing tale of bravery to boot.Leslie Norman's Dunkirk does not shy away from the buffoonery of high command which led to Allied troops being pushed further and further back until they were surrounded from every angle, but also explores themes of heroism in the face of invasion. Telling two parallel stories, we witness the events leading up to Dunkirk from the front-line, where inexperienced corporal 'Tubby' Binns (John Mills) finds himself in suddenly in charge after the death of his superior and separated from the bulk of his company in hostile territory. From the Home Front, cynical journalist Charles Foreman (Bernard Lee) is attempting to snap his fellow countrymen out of their laid-back state to pay attention to a war that is creeping on their doorstep. Charles is met by people who agree with his concerns, but also those who are blissfully unaware of his country's dyer situation. In particular, local businessman Holden (Richard Attenborough) is making himself a tidy profit from the Phoney War and laps up the propaganda played over the radio. Attenborough's coward is the film's most intriguing plot-line and certainly the most complex character on show. Although he has relatively little screen-time compared to Mills and Lee, its Holden's reaction to the horror on the beach which subsequently changes his entire outlook that lingers in the mind once the film is over.Mills' lovable Tubby looks like the more conventional hero, wise- cracking and back-slapping his men, but as the situation worsens his ability to command is questioned as leaves one of his men to die and fails to inspire his troops to move when told. Mills gets the bulk of the screen-time, and while his journey to the beaches provide some technically impressive set-pieces, there's an unevenness to the juxtaposition of the intertwining tales when they really deserve equal billing. Tubby's escapades means that it takes a long time to get the evacuation, but when it does, the sights of hundreds of soldiers wading out into the ocean in the hope of rescue and the horror exploding around them still holds up today. It's a moving and beautifully filmed final half hour that is worth the price of admission alone.

screenman 'Dunkirk' was the event that really cemented WW2 in British minds. Up to that point it had been more a newsworthy disturbance in a foreign land, following on the much maligned 'phony' war.For the first time, those at home - at least in the home counties - could see for themselves the face of defeat in legions of haggard and bandaged returnees.This movie takes us through events in a familiar well-paced documentary-like way that makes old British war movies so watchable. There are few excessive heroics, just a gradual realisation that greater effort is needed and a reconciliation to it. Individuals are about to have their pleasure craft commandeered. Even in the 1940's, to own your own boat for pleasure was a very middle-class activity, and so we see this 'Dad's Navy' confused and reluctant at first, but eventually volunteering themselves along with their boats. They still have little idea what awaits them.In France, things are falling apart fast. The collapsing British forces are shown in microcosm by a company of squaddies led by working-class 'corporal' John Mills, complete with phony cockney accent. Constantly harassed by the encroaching German army, they manage to stay one step ahead and reach Dunkirk.Only soldiers can be evacuated. The supplies and substance of an army must be abandoned, destroying as much as possible rather than allowing it to fall into enemy hands.Small-ship civilians get trapped ashore and share in the bombardment with soldiers. Some are killed. There's a lot of men and a lot of equipment shown at times. It's clear that the army were involved in the movie's making. Cabin cruisers explode, loaded ships are bombed. Although today, the bombs falling on the dunes bear more similarity to thunder flashes, for its time, the overall effect is creditable. There are believable performances all round from a cast of reliable, regular stalwarts. And, necessary for every movie; we are made to care about them.The retreat from Dunkirk was the first of several Great British reversals that were needed before the nation took its plight seriously enough to galvanise itself into a professional war-effort. This movie doesn't moralise or sentimentalise much. Dunkirk was chaos that was saved from disaster by just a little bit of order and a great deal of courage. Not to mention luck.Well worth a watch even today. It may be a drama but it tells you as much as a reference book.