Product Description
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What happened at Dunkirk in May 1940 must rank as the greatest
maritime evacuation in history.
A race against time to save the Allied army trapped in France
that is as much defined by its audacity as it is by its
miraculous nature.
The greatest escape?
Told from the perspective of the decision makers and the soldiers
on the ground, this series follows the dramatic events from the
25th May 1940, to the early hours of 4th June. As British and
French troops were forced back into an ever-decreasing pocket of
land by the relentless onslaught of the Germans, the British Navy
launched a momentous effort to save them at short notice and with
very slender means.
3 x 60 minutes:
Retreat
A rear-guard action is put in place to hold the Germans back,
allowing the bulk of the army to make its way to Dunkirk.
Operation Dynamo swings into action, masterminded by the cool and
efficient Admiral Ramsay. Meanwhile in London, Churchill fends
off a drive by Lord Halifax to sue for peace. As the drama begins
to escalate, three soldiers, Wilf, Clive and Titch, man a signals
truck on what will become the front line of the German attack.
Evacuation
The reality of the war hits home back in England as the fisherman
of Leighton-Sea have their boats requisitioned by the navy. Many
volunteer to go with their vessels. Churchill, much to the dismay
of the organisers of Operation Dynamo, promises the French to
save their army as well. As the rescue mission gets under way
properly, the Leigh fisherman, their boats packed with soldiers,
start for home. Not all will make it though.
Survival
This episode details the last desperate efforts to get away and
tells the stories of those who were left behind. One of those who
stay behind is Dr Newman. He struggles to get the remaining
wounded away as the Germans bear down on Dunkirk. Only a few
hundred men are left to face the Germans as the finally enter the
town. But some 325,000 men have been saved.
Review
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...gripping, inspiring and nerve-shredding stuff, especially
when you realise just how close the British Expeditionary Force
came to destruction - and possibly betrayal from certain sections
of the Cabinet - in May 1940. The chaos, terror and uncertainty
among the surrounded troops was particularly well evoked, while
no major British undertaking could possibly occur without good
old-fashioned incompetence putting in an appearance. --Stage
...as gripping as Saving Private Ryan or Band Of Brothers ...
everyone who has actually seen it has been profoundly moved and
found it a fitting tribute to the British veterans ... much of it
is shocking, not least the scene when British soldiers who wish
to retreat are by their own side ... We can never truly
understand what it was like to be there but dramas such as
Dunkirk help. --Daily Mirror (Tony Parsons)
Convincingly creating three hours of carnage, desperation,
heroism and chaos with a budget of 2m and a team of 30 extras,
Holmes and his television crew bring home the terrible jeopardy
felt by both the soldiers and the army command ... Filmed in a
verité style, Dunkirk is an immersive viewing experience and
Holmes limits the view to that of the men on the ground. The
dialogue is blurry, chatty and unimportant, but the internal
thoughts of the characters are genuine, having been culled from
the testimonies of the old soldiers ... powerful drama
documentary. --Sunday Times (Helen Stewart)