Page 5 - Good News September 2017 paper

(British troops were evacuated than one plot line crafted to tug rescue of more than 330 000 Allied of German panzer tanks when
from Dunkirk, France, as the the heartstrings. Add in a superb soldiers, and it fails to convey, they were less than 10 miles from
German Army invaded the area, score from Hans Zimmer, and even faintly, the colossal stakes the defenseless British and
1940). Dunkirk is everything Hollywood of Operation Dynamo for Britain, French forces.
- Brad Macdonald, 26 July 2017 tells us we want. France, Germany and, indeed,
humanity. Seventy-five years have passed
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk But although it is viscerally and historians are still debating
opened recently to massive stimulating, Dunkirk lacks depth, The biggest disappointment, and the rationale behind this
crowds and rave reviews. By the meaning and substance. There's the least surprising, was the decision. Whatever the Field
end of the first weekend, the no historical context, nothing to failure to highlight the miracles Marshal was thinking, the two-
movie had grossed more than stimulate or challenge the intel- that surrounded Operation Dyna- day recess allowed French and
$100 million worldwide; $24 of lect, nothing meaningful to take mo. For me, Dunkirk ranks in the British forces to make crucial
which came from my wife and I. away. For a film so obviously top five on the list of Britain's all- improvements to their perimeter
Dunkirk, in my opinion, is an connected to an explicit historical time greatest miracles. The most defenses. And when the tanks
entertaining film and a fine event, there is a surprising dearth incredible facet of Dunkirk fired back up, these hasty
diversion, but entirely under- of history. doesn't relate to one event. improvements were enough to
whelming and a missed oppor- Rather, it's the fact that three hold back the Germans. But it
tunity. May 1940 was arguably the most highly unlikely events converged wasn't just the engines on Rund-
important month of World War II, at exactly the right time. stedt's tanks that unexpectedly
Dunkirk is everything you'd one that included other momen- went quiet.
expect from 21st-century Holly- tous developments. Yet Dunkirk First, there was the bizarre
wood. There's plenty of action, somehow fails to explore the decision by Field Marshal Gerd So did the English Channel! For
some epic panoramas, and more broader significance of the von Rundstedt to halt the advance Continued on p. 8
Continued on p. 8