Ealing's last significant work, featuring some big (British) names and budget, along with a "marquee" subject matter - to wit, the evacuation of Dunkirk by the British in 1940, a defeat so famous that it's surprising in a way it took until 1958 to earn a film (although it does feature in Mrs Miniver). The two leads are definitive England's favourite "Mr Ordinary" actors, John Mills and Richard Attenborough - the former a soldier whose section gets cut off from the main body of troops in France (the budget wasn't that big) the latter a foot-dragging civilian who reluctantly lends his boat to the cause. The third biggest part (it's actually equal first biggest) goes to Bernard Miles as an annoying journo - it's actually the worst role because Miles just spends the whole time whining about how ill-prepared the British are, and how cowardly Attenborough is. I didn't shed too many tears for his (admittedly unexpected) death on the beach.
A lot of this is very effective: the opening use of newsreels, a stirring moment where Miles and the civilians offer their boats to the cause (I choked up a bit at this), the mostly no-nonsense attitude of the British soldiers (there's some whining and cowardice), spectacular shots of extras climbing into boats and scrambling for safety on the beaches, Mills' craggy face. The Germans are mostly seen in long shot or heard via explosions; the French barely feature at all. Women don't come off too well - Miles has a silent, noble wife whereas Attenborough has a nagging one (a feature of 50s British cinema). It also could have done with more vigorous handling - Leslie Norman wasn't the best director in the world and it's a shame someone like Lewis Gilbert couldn't have handled the action. Oh, and it's over long (almost two hours and ten minutes). Still, a worthy depiction of a famous story.
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