amateur Posted July 29, 2017 Report Share Posted July 29, 2017 I wonder if the story will be ever filmed of the British divisions that continued fighting heroically after Dunkirk, south of the Somme in support of the French army, and who (in the main - over 180,000) only just got out via the western French ports of Lorient and Saint Nazaire following the collapse and subsequent surrender of the French. Unfortunately the 51st Highland division were surrounded by Rommel and spent the next 5 years as POW's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 I saw it last week....good film! Excellent effects.......I enjoyed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabhui Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 Saw it yesterday. Superb! Puts you right in the thick of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpy22 Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 (edited) very good film watched it last night and was not disappointed. Edited July 30, 2017 by bumpy22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose man Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 Watched it this afternoon , very moving , being there at the time must be as close to hell on earth as it gets .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted July 30, 2017 Report Share Posted July 30, 2017 Watched it this afternoon , very moving , being there at the time must be as close to hell on earth as it gets .. I think those that fought at Passchendaele may well dispute that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 I think those that fought at Passchendaele may well dispute that? I don't think any war is much fun. My grandfather was the second tank through the front gates of Belsen, the tank in front crashed into a stack of bodies and got bogged down, which I imagine was deeply unpleasant. Let's not get into a "my war was worse than your war" argument! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uilleachan Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 I wonder if the story will be ever filmed of the British divisions that continued fighting heroically after Dunkirk, south of the Somme in support of the French army, and who (in the main - over 180,000) only just got out via the western French ports of Lorient and Saint Nazaire following the collapse and subsequent surrender of the French. Unfortunately the 51st Highland division were surrounded by Rommel and spent the next 5 years as POW's Thats a story that needs told, but likely never will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 Thats a story that needs told, but likely never will. I have been reading Patrick Takle's book "The British Army in France after Dunkirk" which tells the story of those who fought on, and the very near miss whereby Churchill had ordered the shipment of the British reserve divisions to Normandy, but was disregarded by General Alan Brooke, who ordered them to be shipped back. Had the British reserves been penned up in Normandy and Brittany and the Germans invaded us in 1940, I might well be now writing this in German. The 51st Highland had the misfortune to end up at the coast in an indefensible position, and so were bagged for the duration. Their successors (with others) did however do for Rommel at El Alamein and also in 1944 liberated the town in which the 51st had surrended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esca Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 (edited) Great Uncle was with the OX and Bucks lost his arm at Dunkirk spent the next 5 years as a POW. My grandfather was on HMS Highlander when the Lancastria sank outside St Nazaire. He was haunted by those scenes. Edited July 31, 2017 by Esca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uilleachan Posted July 31, 2017 Report Share Posted July 31, 2017 (edited) I have been reading Patrick Takle's book "The British Army in France after Dunkirk" which tells the story of those who fought on, and the very near miss whereby Churchill had ordered the shipment of the British reserve divisions to Normandy, but was disregarded by General Alan Brooke, who ordered them to be shipped back. Had the British reserves been penned up in Normandy and Brittany and the Germans invaded us in 1940, I might well be now writing this in German. The 51st Highland had the misfortune to end up at the coast in an indefensible position, and so were bagged for the duration. Their successors (with others) did however do for Rommel at El Alamein and also in 1944 liberated the town in which the 51st had surrended. When I was a lad visiting Edinburgh in the 80's I happened to meet an old guy in the Meadows Bar, after talking to him for a bit he was introduced/outed to me as Hamish Henderson, by the barman, when he started getting evasive about what he'd worked at. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamish_Henderson I asked him if there was any truth in the rumour that he still carried the draft for the surrender of Italy in his wallet? He laughed and didn't provide an answer. I then asked him which was his favourite version of his song "the 51st Highland Division's Farewell to Sicily", commemorating the same, to which he replied that it would be impolite to single any one version out as better than another. I think he was a bit shy truth be told, what with a youth making much of his celebrity. Anyway, here it is, set to the tune of the 6/8 pipe march, "farewell to the creeks". Edited July 31, 2017 by Uilleachan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbob Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Finally got to see this in IMAX last night! An incredible cinematic experience. I urge anyone that wants to see this, DON’T wait to watch it on the small screen at home. This really is one of those films that needs to be seen on the biggest screen you can find. The cinematography is stunning, especially the aerial scenes. Never has a Spitfire been committed to film so beautifully. It’s an understated take on the war film genre, but all the better for it. Don’t go expecting a blood and guts Saving Private Ryan type of movie, this is not that type of war film. That’s not to say it’s not immersive, it really is. From start to finish I was on the edge of my seat, the Spitfire scenes are as close to being in the actual cockpit as you could imagine. I think it’s refreshing to finally see a hollywood WW2 movie from the British point of view. A really well made film that deserves all the plaudits it’s receiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 Seen the film and read the accompanying book. See it! Finally got to see this in IMAX last night! An incredible cinematic experience. I urge anyone that wants to see this, DON’T wait to watch it on the small screen at home. This really is one of those films that needs to be seen on the biggest screen you can find. The cinematography is stunning, especially the aerial scenes. Never has a Spitfire been committed to film so beautifully. It’s an understated take on the war film genre, but all the better for it. Don’t go expecting a blood and guts Saving Private Ryan type of movie, this is not that type of war film. That’s not to say it’s not immersive, it really is. From start to finish I was on the edge of my seat, the Spitfire scenes are as close to being in the actual cockpit as you could imagine. I think it’s refreshing to finally see a hollywood WW2 movie from the British point of view. A really well made film that deserves all the plaudits it’s receiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 If I may I will be a dissenting voice. My wife and I saw it the other day. She was enthralled whilst I didn't enjoy or understand it. There were too many anachronisms for my liking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 If I may I will be a dissenting voice. My wife and I saw it the other day. She was enthralled whilst I didn't enjoy or understand it. There were too many anachronisms for my liking. 2nd WW.....Retreating allied soldiers wait on beach for evacuation, cruel Hun bomb em! Armada of small ships arrive...allied soldiers get back to Blighty!......Dunkirk in a nutshell!.....What's to not understand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB1 Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 Maybe JDog spotted the Apple Watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncher Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 If I may I will be a dissenting voice. My wife and I saw it the other day. She was enthralled whilst I didn't enjoy or understand it. There were too many anachronisms for my liking. I too was not that impressed and im sure i saw a jeep on the beach with a stars and stripes flag on the ariel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 ... I didn't enjoy or understand it. There were too many anachronisms for my liking. Such as? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted August 14, 2017 Report Share Posted August 14, 2017 It's a marmite film.... I thought it is the best film I've seen in a good while. I can also understand why the American critics don't get it, it's not a 'we won' ' don't leave any men behind' type film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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