Leonard Maltin said that DUNKIRK relied too heavily on newsreel footage. In fact, the only newsreels appear early in the film as means of introduction. It's possible (probable) that Leslie Norman edited live-action snippets from newsreels into the movie, but, if so, there's very little of this and it fits with the rest of the action. Thus, an unfair criticism.
DUNKIRK is a good film, and the producers were successful in making the movie suitably suspenseful, even though most people knows how it ended up historically. By all accounts, it is historically accurate. My criticism is one of pace -- DUNKIRK seems to drag for its first 100 minutes or so, with a particularly long span of film devoted to the meanderings of Cpl. Bins' squad as they beat the Belgian bushes in confusion. In fact, the focus on Bins & Co. is almost entirely uninterrupted by other action in other settings, making it seem even longer.
The actual evacuation, then, is crammed into the final 30 minutes, and, in fact, very little of it is actually depicted. Since this was the main point of the story, it seems odd that the producers would devote 75% of the film to what is essentially introduction and very little to the main action. As an example (no, this is not a spoiler) -- the Heron's motor quits in the middle of the channel, and the boat begins drifting towards Nazi-held Calais. Yet, within seconds -- IN THE SAME SCENE -- a Royal Navy destroyer appears out of nowhere to rescue them. At least one or two cuts to other action would have enhanced the impact of the rescue (which, BTW, is not actually shown, either).
Nonetheless, an above-average and accurate WWII film that's worth seeing at least once.
DUNKIRK is a good film, and the producers were successful in making the movie suitably suspenseful, even though most people knows how it ended up historically. By all accounts, it is historically accurate. My criticism is one of pace -- DUNKIRK seems to drag for its first 100 minutes or so, with a particularly long span of film devoted to the meanderings of Cpl. Bins' squad as they beat the Belgian bushes in confusion. In fact, the focus on Bins & Co. is almost entirely uninterrupted by other action in other settings, making it seem even longer.
The actual evacuation, then, is crammed into the final 30 minutes, and, in fact, very little of it is actually depicted. Since this was the main point of the story, it seems odd that the producers would devote 75% of the film to what is essentially introduction and very little to the main action. As an example (no, this is not a spoiler) -- the Heron's motor quits in the middle of the channel, and the boat begins drifting towards Nazi-held Calais. Yet, within seconds -- IN THE SAME SCENE -- a Royal Navy destroyer appears out of nowhere to rescue them. At least one or two cuts to other action would have enhanced the impact of the rescue (which, BTW, is not actually shown, either).
Nonetheless, an above-average and accurate WWII film that's worth seeing at least once.