The movie Dunkirk is a must-see!

Mixed feelings for me after seeing this for several reasons.

First of all I tried to tell myself after reading all the mostly positive publicity leading up to it that it would not be the blockbuster it was made out to be simply because the British war film industry has pretty much gone to pieces and it would never have enough backing to give it the full treatment.

SPOILER ALERT

The film:

I had seen previously mentioned that shots were fired in the opening moments and likely to startle. So it was great to sit and know it was coming with everyone around me looking relaxed and ready, only to realise it had started and that they were in fact NOT ready .

After seeing and hearing this scene I started to get excited and epics like private Ryan started going through my head only to be almost immediately dashed in the next scene. French soldiers defending a street barricade and coming under small arms fire, all good except for the location. The camera pans down the length of this one street and on to the beach, waiting soldiers and all. The impression is given the Germans are literally round the corner and a stones throw away. Maybe in the last moments of the last night of the siege but realistically the perimeter was definitely not next to the beach.

Apart from the above mentioned the first part of the film was very good, the highlight being the two stuka attacks. I have never the heard infamous stuka whine sound as good before and it feel's like the crescendo of this is going to bring the roof in. (If any veterans watch this and I think some might have been at the premier, I can only imagine the distress this sound could cause. It really is loud, piercing and frightening.)

Equipment: Now, although a lot of people probably won't recognise a ww2 ship from a more modern one a few will and I'm guessing most on here. When you know this and the imposter is a not a brilliant one it does disappointment. Could CGI not have been used? I'm not particularly up on my modern RN vessels but the guy next to me thought the destroyer (with two funnels, modern bridge, aerials etc.) might have been a Daring class and the minesweeper shown a Ton class. The small ships shown were obviously correct being veterans and all but even these could theoretically have been augmented with more. Other veterans are still knocking around and even in use for pleasure cruises etc. Also one shot shows a fishing vessel with obvious modern lines. The other obvious thing for me was the modern trucks etc.

RAF: The RAF myth regarding Dunkirk is well known and the film shows this but I was surprised by how much time was devoted to the air side of things. I have seen critics elsewhere question the length of time a spit can float but I wouldn't know either way. What did get me chuckling was some of the dialogue in the spits, some of that stuff would never have been said and was obviously just put in to inform the audience of what was happening. A surprising turn up was the scene of I think a Blenheim. What it was doing etc. was not clear and you get the impression an airworthy was available and thrown in. Not a bad thing but if a Lanc had a 1940 DOB you get the impression that might have been borrowed from the BOB memorial flight as well!!

Small ship: The scenes on this covered mainly the journey over and not as much at the other end (time restraints?). The sea rescue was good but I wasn't feeling the distressed soldier aboard storyline.

In relation to the women & black people comment at least no love interest took over the show (Pearl harbour/Enemy at the gates etc.) and I think it did well to show any French colonial troops at all considering the limited French shown.

Harry Styles: When I knew he was in, it gave it less credibility for me but I have to say I was impressed. His was one of the best performances.

Ending: I wasn't too fussed about Kenneth Brannagh's character, the dialogue seemed a bit cliché. At the end he gives the impression the last tommy has been saved and the French are next but in reality when Churchill gave the order to take the French it was alongside (not after) the Brits, right up till the end. Also the floating spit seemed to do and be around a lot. Am I right in saying it shot down a stuka (Look at the scene when it hits the water, The CGI to scene/scaling doesn't look right to me)  whilst in this state?? And the buildings behind the gliding spit?

Verdict: I wish more CGI had been used on the equipment, sea (curiously empty) and beaches (more numbers and disorganised chaos). Without wanting to, I think I let my expectations rise and ultimately whilst it is good, this left me thinking it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. It could have done with being longer with more emphasis on the beaches/dunes/town/perimeter and a touch less aerial. The standout for me was the AWSOME sound and score. I agree too with the confusing scene jumping towards the end.

For me the original Dunkirk is still easily better. What it lacks in colour it makes up in everything else. It covers all the land/naval actions in detail including the retreat and it feels correct. With the cast/crew being war veterans and equipment being still available. Also I would recommend a BBC three part Docu-Drama made about a decade ago. It covers all the events and more with London based aspects and a portrayal of an infamous SS POW massacre in the surrounding area.

These TV mini series for me (BOB) are the way forward and give more time to cover events adequately.