An air of sullen defeat hangs over Dunkirk. Not surprising, you might think, since it recounts the ghastly 1940 debacle when the Anglo-French forces, decisively trounced by Hitler’s Wehrmacht, found themselves pinned down on the Normandy beaches. Only luck, good weather and a flotilla of small boats saved the bulk of the British Army. But the movie itself was made by deflated forces, too.
It dates from the twilight years of Ealing when production head Michael Balcon and his team, having been forced to sell their beloved West London studio, were living a sad, depleted existence in a corner of the MGM lot at Borehamwood. Dunkirk marks the end of an era. And it feels like it – a glum, dispirited slog of a movie, stolidly directed by Leslie Norman. A reliable cast (John Mills, Richard Attenborough, Bernard Lee) give it their best shot, but it’s a losing battle in every sense.
DVD Extras:
Extras have gone AWOL.
