Dunkirk

[Insidious Von]

Christopher Nolan is an ambitious director, he's about to take his biggest challenge yet. His about to make a WW II epic on the evacuation of Dunkirk. When Blitzkrieg overran France, French (including Charles De Gaulle) and British Expeditionary forces were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Had the Germans captured them it would have extended the war into the late 40's. Nolan is a very organized director but he'll face the same logistical problems that Alejandro Inarritu faced making The Revenant. He usually has a rough script and some of his casting done before making an announcement. Mark Raylance (Bridge of Spies), Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy are in talks to front the film. Correct me if I'm wrong but a film about Dunkirk has never been made, I wish him luck.

 

[SkyRider]

Correct me if I'm wrong but a film about Dunkirk has never been made,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_(film)
Ok, I had to Google it.

Why did Hitler not send in the tanks? The Brits were trapped with their back to the Channel.

 

[jcpro]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_(film)
Ok, I had to Google it.

Why did Hitler not send in the tanks? The Brits were trapped with their back to the Channel.

His chief of the air force convinced him to use the air power first.

 

[SkyRider]

His chief of the air force convinced him to use the air power first.

Ok, but the Brits countered that with the RAF that provided air cover for the escape.

BTW: If Dunkirk fell, it would have been an even greater defeat than the Fall of Singapore.

 

[jcpro]

Ok, but the Brits countered that with the RAF that provided air cover for the escape.

BTW: If Dunkirk fell, it would have been an even greater defeat than the Fall of Singapore.

In 1940 fat Herman did not believe anything could stop his pilots. German version of the "victory disease".

 

[SkyRider]

In 1940 fat Herman did not believe anything could stop his pilots. German version of the "victory disease".

"The RAF continued to take a heavy toll on the German bombers throughout the week. Soldiers being bombed and strafed while awaiting transport were for the most part unaware of the efforts of the RAF to protect them, as most of the dogfights took place far from the beaches. As a result, many British soldiers bitterly accused the airmen of doing nothing to help. Knowing the truth of it, Churchill made a point of stating in his address in the House on 4 June that the evacuation had been made possible through the efforts of the Air Force.[SUP][58]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation[/SUP]

 

[jcpro]

"The RAF continued to take a heavy toll on the German bombers throughout the week. Soldiers being bombed and strafed while awaiting transport were for the most part unaware of the efforts of the RAF to protect them, as most of the dogfights took place far from the beaches. As a result, many British soldiers bitterly accused the airmen of doing nothing to help. Knowing the truth of it, Churchill made a point of stating in his address in the House on 4 June that the evacuation had been made possible through the efforts of the Air Force.[SUP][58]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation[/SUP]

The RAF took heavy losses in the 10 days of the air battles over Dunkirk, too. Over 170 planes destroyed or damaged. Hitler losses amounted to 240 or so in the same time. The quality of the RAF in its concentration came as a nasty shock to the Nazis, but it was a close contest that, being numerically superior, Germans were sure they were going to win.

 

[SkyRider]

The RAF took heavy losses in the 10 days of the air battles over Dunkirk, too. Over 170 planes destroyed or damaged.

Yes, but weren't the RAF willing to sacrifice pilots to protect their ground troops? The German pilots didn't have ground troops to protect.

 

[jcpro]

Yes, but weren't the RAF willing to sacrifice pilots to protect their ground troops? The German pilots didn't have ground troops to protect.

Even if they wanted to throw everything against the Germans(which they did not want do), RAF simply did not have the numbers. Weather and smoke were as much of an obstacle as the British fighters for the Germans.

 

[onthebottom]

Hitler made two massive tactical mistakes, not sending the tanks (as said correctly above) and not following them across the channel, British were never weaker.

 

[jcpro]

Hitler made two massive tactical mistakes, not sending the tanks (as said correctly above) and not following them across the channel, British were never weaker.

He did not have transports to follow the Brits across the Channel.

 

[black booty lover]

. Had the Germans captured them it would have extended the war into the late 40's.

I doubt that, the way Russians were going by late 1944 nothing was going to stop them. I'm sure Germany would have allocated more resources to the east to try fend off the Russians, but they were steam rolling over every german position at that point. Having said that, maybe his invasion of Russia would have been totally different had the germans captured Dunkirk.

 

[Insidious Von]

You are so right bbl.

Field Marshall Guderian and Tank Commander Rommel wanted to go full speed ahead into Dunkirk. Had the German armoured forces captured the British and French freedom fighters the war would have extended into the late 1940's, Charles de Gaulle would have sat out the war in a stalag and the Soviet Union would conquer Germany. That is why Dunkirk is of equal significance to D-Day in my books.

And this time "my boy" is taking the lead in Nolan's epic project. I predicted back in 2008 that Tom Hardy would become a critically and commercially acclaimed superstar, Dunkirk and the upcoming film version of Splinter Cell will seal the deal.

http://www.thewrap.com/tom-hardy-in-talks-to-star-in-christopher-nolans-wwii-movie-dunkirk/

 

[jgd]

Should be interesting to see how this movie works out. The Americans were not there and I would bet most of them don't even know about Dunkirk. When Americans make war movies they invariably "adjust" history to give themselves the leading role (eg. D Day).

 

[SkyRider]

Had the German armoured forces captured the British and French freedom fighters

Britain would probably have sought a cease fire or a separate peace. Can't wage war without an army.

I think I read somewhere that the German tanks couldn't advance because the area into Dunkirk was too muddy and/or too sandy.

 

[yak2432]

The 2007 film Atonement has an extensive scene that takes place during the Dunkirk evacuation. I seem to recall that there is 10 minute continuous shot following a group of soldiers as they make their way through and around the chaos but I can't seem to find it. This is about the best.
http://youtu.be/qe3aupFG4iA
Hitler ordered the tanks to halt allowing the Brits enough time to evacuate their army. Hitler's reasoning was once British soldiers left Europe they would never return. This also was the event that prompted Churchill's famous "We shall fight on the beaches............We shall never surrender" speech. Any Christopher Nolan film is always an event.

 

[Insidious Von]

"Just when I thought I had figured out his bag of tricks, he draws me back in".

Usually after watching enough of an actor I figure out what he/she is going to do (i.e Benedict Cumberbatch) - but not Tom Hardy. He finds a way to bring something new to every role he takes on. Wait till you see him in The Revenant!

 

[Insidious Von]

Excellent!

Richard Attenborough (The Great Escape, Jurrasic Park) is also in it.

 

[Insidious Von]

Btw.

The current craze for the latest Star Wars film has left me somewhat depressed. Stripped of its popcorn charm, the franchise is a fascist fantasy. There was a scene at the end of The Phantom Menace that had Leni Reifenstahl's imprint all over it. i felt so ashamed that I vowed to never watch another Star Wars film ever again.

 

[IM469]

The Americans were not there and I would bet most of them don't even know about Dunkirk. When Americans make war movies they invariably "adjust" history to give themselves the leading role (eg. D Day).

That's why there wasn't a major US motion picture on the topic. None of the Americans participated in the great escape (they were moved out to their own POW camp) but they were written in to appeal the the US audience. The US is too big a market to ignore and the people funding the movie would be aware of that.