Excellence in making you feel something
I'd like to add my two bob's worth (or, in current parlance 20 cents, if you still have coins...) to the growing commentary.
Like many of you, I share an interest, respect and observance of historical facts, themes and artifacts. I am interested in the events, the methodologies and equipment employed, the outcomes of battles and trying to understand the "whys" and the "whats" of the military history of the first half of the 20th Century. It shaped the world we live in today more than any other period has.
Now there has been sufficient critique of the aircraft exploits, crashing without significant damage, water craft like buoyancy of a Spitfire Mk 1, the gliding capability of a Mark 1 at 750' ASL, the 45,000 rounds each gun was fed et cetera, et cetera.
There has been comment on the lack of background story to build each character and make them relevant to us in an identifiable way. Criticism has been leveled at the director for not 'bringing the modern audience around' to period norms, and attitudes.
These specific niggles aside, I thought the movie was a fantastic tribute to a very dark time. The British Expeditionary Force was comprehensively thrashed by simply following almost the same failed tactics of 1917 in defending against the German invasion of France through the Low Countries. Now putting aside these stark facts, we do need to consider, as people not involved in that time, not being the ones who had to deal with this situation - how would we feel?
And that is the point of the movie. The director has masterfully provided us a story (with technical flaws and some artistic license) that allows us, in a modern, detached, immune era, to actually appreciate some of the feelings and views of the protagonists.
We get to expereince the intent of a young soldier running for his life from the German advance, killing his Section mates with impunity and he realising he has to do everything he can to survive. So he helps another bloke, almost entirely out of self centred preservation. For those of us with Service expereince and training, we're sitting there kicking in to drills. look left, look right, identify the target, range. Where's my ammo? Immediate Action, open the bolt, eject the round, plunge the top round down to realign it. Ram another round in, take aim. But really, we're not there. We haven't endured six months of the 'Sitzenkrieg' with inept, bumbling leadership making plans, then changing orders on a daily basis. We can't presume to expereince the initial feeling of invincibility of 'our team' that crumbles and retreats constantly at first contact with the blinding pace and concentrated force of the German army. We aren't in a position of absolute rock bottom morale, after this long, draining, 'do nothing' defensive preparation that was overwhelmed in no time.
We have read these facts, we have understood through other's stories what this might have been like and compared them with our impressions of '...when we were soldiers...' Quite rightly, from a logical point of view. But is it fair, it is honest and is it empathic? Probably not.
The scenes in the hospital ship were truly terrifying. That the two characters made plans, just in case, was interesting and made a story. But it was the terror and fate of those around whom impacted the viewer. We can not rationally put ourselves in that position (OK, if you've done HUET maybe you're exempt?) But the director wanted us to realise and feel the terror and tragedy of those last two minutes of life.
The small boat captain was, to me, the centre of the whole story. There was nothing more moving, in my opinion, than that little boat's story. In reality, it was one of thousands of stories, all contributing what they could, when they could without hesitation. The minimal dialogue on the boat, between the father, his son and friend and their rescued passenger said much more than a Hollywood virtuous monologue would have. The fear and trepidation felt by those crews was overshadowed by the period feeling of genuine threat and the need to prevent Germany from invading the UK. The skipper had seen the horror and futility of the Western Front and simply knew he had a duty to help the BEF survive. Nothing more needs to be said, the director let us see this in one sentence.
I agree with the technical inadequacies people have pointed out. But I don't agree that these little things detract from the intent of telling he story of a generation to another generation and trying to show 'what it was like' to be there. Technical details don't help you feel scared, or unprotected, or unsafe or simply fatigued beyond you imagination. That is the condition of the majority of these troops were in.
Perhaps nowadays we're immune to thinking and really feeling in movies. We want 'realism' in special effects (particularly in fiction) and we want action. It seems that feeling (putting yourself in the protagonist's shoes and sensing their position) is only necessary in a romance that is more suited to those of a more gentle disposition, often (but not always) women. Perhaps I'm wildly mistaken? Don't get me wrong, I'm always keen to be up front of the line to see Bond and Bourne. But this movie made me feel, for once, what the story was about.