Dunkirk

Wars are difficult for me to write about.  I see no good reason for them.  I also know that in today’s world, visual reenactments of major conflicts are probably the only way to teach massive amounts of the public, history.  If you haven’t lived it, been exposed to it through schooling, and learned from these experiences, you’re bound to make the same mistakes, and believe me, war is one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make. 

WWII is filled with stories of heroism, tragedy, incredible battles, bombs, guns, death, decadence, lack of hope, and despair.  It pretty much ran the whole gamut of situations one could find one’s self in both in Europe and Asia.  This is the story of how 338,000 Allied Troops on June 4, 1940 escaped the beaches of Dunkirk on the coast of France.  Cue the song White Cliffs of Dover.  This particular battle left, as I said, a large number of soldiers vulnerable to airstrikes by the Germans.  You can’t hide from an airstrike if you can’t find a space that’s not exposed while you’re waiting in a huge queue and the only way you’re getting out is to sneak onto the first available transport out of Dodge.   In this case, even if you could find somewhere to hide, it may have included swimming to the nearest  local fisherman’s trawler, pleasure boat, or even a dinghy.  Many, many, many lives were lost and it almost seemed like an open and shut situation had it not been for the talent and in a few cases, pure dumb luck, of the fighters who staved off the attacks by German Luftwaffe.  They used the beached troops as target practice, almost like shooting ducks in a barrel. 

Tension abounds, even though we know the outcome.  There’s a lot of explosions, near death situations, and extremely close calls.  Standout performances by Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, and Mark Rylance.  Yes, I know I’m supposed to applaud Kenneth Branagh, but he mostly stood around in full-tilt military garb, not much to react to, really.  So, overall, if you’re a history buff, a veteran of WWII, or just like to watch war films in general…here you go.  I’m sure you’ll be more than satisfied.  My rating:  a lovely case of PTSD, a wooden boat my brother would give his right elbow for, the last remains of innocence for any of the men and women who gave their lives to keep the world free from tyranny, i.e. 3.2 stars.