| Dunkirk | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Leslie Norman |
| Starring | John Mills Richard Attenborough Bernard Lee |
| Release date(s) | 1958 |
| Running time | 134 mins |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Dunkirk is a World War II film made in 1958, starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee.
Plot
The film relates the story of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of surrounded English and French troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. It does so principally from the viewpoints of two people: a newspaper reporter and a soldier. "Tubby" Bins, a British corporal (Mills) is trying to get his men to Dunkirk, where they, the rest of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and thousands of French soldiers hope to be evacuated. After their officer is killed in a bomber attack, it is up to Tubby to keep his demoralized charges motivated. They eventually get a lift in a RAF lorry and make it to the beaches. Parallel to this action is the story of Charles Foreman (Lee), a cynical journalist who is trying to raise morale amongst his depressed readers. When the Admiralty commandeers his motorboat to aid the evacuation from Dunkirk, Foreman is inspired to volunteer his services and take the boat across the Channel himself, despite warnings of the danger. A friend, Holden (Attenborough), a motor engineer and successful businessman does the same, albeit reluctantly. Taking part in the rescue are ships of the Royal Navy and hundreds of civilian vessels of all shapes and sizes - "The Little Ships". On the beaches of Dunkirk, Foreman and Tubby meet, but Foreman is fatally wounded in an attack by German aeroplanes. Although Foreman's boat is wrecked, Holden's Heron makes it safely to Britain.
