Historical Accuracy Of The Movie Dunkirk

Introduction

While it may have foregone many tropes common in other major Hollywood films, Dunkirk (2017) remains one of the most captivating works of film of our time through its brutal realism and historical accuracy. A slow burn to be sure, this film captures the experiences of those involved in Dunkirk on three fronts; on the beaches, in the air, and in the sea. In order to gain a well-rounded perspective on the historical accuracy of this film, I have analyzed and researched it in accordance with the three angles the film focuses on.

Regarding those on the beaches, the main focus will be placed on the experience of over 400,000 soldiers awaiting deliverance on the beaches, their experience once their rescue was complete, and those unfortunate souls who were not so lucky as to be delivered home safely. For those in the air, emphasis will be placed on analyzing just how large of an impact they had on the successful evacuation of the men waiting at Dunkirk, in contrast to the way they were perceived by the men

Though the myth surrounding Dunkirk led many to believe there was a large civilian component to the operation, in reality very few ships were manned by their civilian owners, with most being operated by Royal Navy crews who simply needed a vessel to borrow. (cite) Nevertheless, small vessels, civilian owned or otherwise, accounted for approximately 100,000 (cite) of the 338,000 (cite) soldiers brought home from France during the evacuation. In the film we see the most extreme example of the participation of civilians in Operation Dynamo, with the pleasure yacht piloted by Mr. Dawson eventually returning a large group of stranded men back home from all the way across the English