Dunkirk ( the film )

[Ancient Citizen]

I am aware of what happened and I wasn't being entirely serious. The French sacrificed a lot during the war but we still make jokes about them surrendering. I think it's worst taste that a French journalist would call the film typical British selfishness when A) Nolan did actually put the French in the film unlike Saving Private Ryan with us and B) Our so-called Selfishness allowed them to have their fucking country back in 1945.

The attitude of this journalist reflects French guilt and shame at their country being swiftly overrun by the Germans,
then the further humiliation of seeing the Brits hang on and eventually defeat them, with help from the Americans.
Then there's their leader De Gaulle holed up in good old blighty, and half of their countrymen actually collaborating
and assisting the Nazis; all in all it's a just the reaction of a petulant guilt tripping surrender monkey ;)

 

[bluethrunthru]

The attitude of this journalist reflects French guilt and shame at their country being swiftly overrun by the Germans,
then the further humiliation of seeing the Brits hang on and eventually defeat them, with help from the Americans.
Then there's their leader De Gaulle holed up in good old blighty, and half of their countrymen actually collaborating
and assisting the Nazis; all in all it's a just the reaction of a petulant guilt tripping surrender monkey ;)

I saw somebody from SOE interviewed once who reckoned that there were never more than 30,000 in the resistance though numbers swelled once the Allied invasion gathered pace post June 1946. There are claims of numbers approaching 400k by then involved in active resistance. The point he was making was that over 3m French citizens claimed to have been in the resistance in his view.
Thinking back I suppose it depends on what you take as resistance and your involvement. If you worked in a bar just spitting in a beer ordered by a German soldier would in the spitters view be an active act of resistance. I am not sure whether you actually ever formally joined the resistance afterall and secrecy about the membership was paramount.
I wonder how we would have fared / resisted had Adolph hopped over the channel in 1940?

 

[Magicpole]

I worked with a wee guy who was in the navy when I was about 20, who was in the thick of it getting our soldiers back. Wee Charlie. He never talked about it but one day I was in with just him and I asked him.

It was scary just listening to it. What an effort and I will definitely go and see it

 

[vonkeynotvenky]

I saw somebody from SOE interviewed once who reckoned that there were never more than 30,000 in the resistance though numbers swelled once the Allied invasion gathered pace post June 1946. There are claims of numbers approaching 400k by then involved in active resistance. The point he was making was that over 3m French citizens claimed to have been in the resistance in his view.
Thinking back I suppose it depends on what you take as resistance and your involvement. If you worked in a bar just spitting in a beer ordered by a German soldier would in the spitters view be an active act of resistance. I am not sure whether you actually ever formally joined the resistance afterall and secrecy about the membership was paramount.
I wonder how we would have fared / resisted had Adolph hopped over the channel in 1940?

'tis the York away syndrome personified mate.

 

[hilts]

I'm looking forward to seeing this film too, it'll be good knowing that there is no token Yank in there,
just to please American audiences. The Great escape, involving British servicemen had to have Steve McQueen
tear arsing about on a motorbike, and although a good film most of it was fantasy.

Leave it

 

[bluethrunthru]

'tis the York away syndrome personified mate.

crossed with Allo Allo lol

 

[Vic]

I'm not sure where this "selfish" comment comes from; something lost in translation, perhaps deliberately, I suspect.

Had the Germans not paused the advance on Dunkirk, had Hitler not decided not to invade Britain, had we had a border with Germany, I doubt we'd be crowing about French surrender monkeys.

And what a ludicrous idea, that you have to be left-wing to think the Battle of the Somme was a bad thing. And what exactly would a film show? Trenches, foot rot, big rats, dysentery, lice.

 

[Ghandi's Flip Flops]

French journalists are moaning the film doesn't include enough of the French, one writing for French Huffpost even saying it's typically British to be selfish.

I don't recall us moaning at Saving Private Ryan not having a single British person in the film.

Often wondered why recent film (or mini series) makers haven't considered doing something on say the WW2 battles around Cassino etc.
These involved loads of different troops: British, Yanks, Aussies, Kiwi's, South Africans, Indians, French etc against the Germans & Italians, so should have a wide international appeal.

 

[Bluesince1979]

Unless you've actually seen and participated in active duty (which I haven't) I don't think we'll ever get our heads around what some people went through in events like Dunkirk , or the war in general.

I have a great uncle , well into his 90's and bed ridden now but still sharp. To have met him he is a meek and quiet man, but he has a story which he won't ever talk about but involves him taking a bridge in Holland despite being heavily out numbered, then defending that bridge before the nazis completely over powered them and ultimately being taken POW before escaping, getting back to Blighty before going back for the big push.

Uncle ken is such a gentle man, and although he's never said it I guess he's killed men, seen mates killed. Just amazing to think of the sacrifices.

I guess just living during the way period was mind blowing. My Nanna talks of the blitz over Manchester as though it was very normal, which I suppose it was at the time. She moved to wythenshawe and with ring way being a training base met loads of paras (married one) who just never came home.

I salute that generation cos we haven't got a clue with our pampered lives.

Sorry for the waffle

 

[Magicpole]

Unless you've actually seen and participated in active duty (which I haven't) I don't think we'll ever get our heads around what some people went through in events like Dunkirk , or the war in general.

I have a great uncle , well into his 90's and bed ridden now but still sharp. To have met him he is a meek and quiet man, but he has a story which he won't ever talk about but involves him taking a bridge in Holland despite being heavily out numbered, then defending that bridge before the nazis completely over powered them and ultimately being taken POW before escaping, getting back to Blighty before going back for the big push.

Uncle ken is such a gentle man, and although he's never said it I guess he's killed men, seen mates killed. Just amazing to think of the sacrifices.

I guess just living during the way period was mind blowing. My Nanna talks of the blitz over Manchester as though it was very normal, which I suppose it was at the time. She moved to wythenshawe and with ring way being a training base met loads of paras (married one) who just never came home.

I salute that generation cos we haven't got a clue with our pampered lives.

Sorry for the waffle

It was a good waffle.