A brilliant story about the moral.

Rating: 9/10 (22 July 2017)

Asphalt paved street. Modern windows. Modern housing on embankment. (Mostly) modern naval ships. Erghh... I told to myself on the first 15 minutes of the movie. With such a budget Mr.Nolan could do better - my thought continued. And then... it all came to me. 1st. It ain't your another war re-acting movie. It's not about that. It's not about armies moved like chess on the boards. No. 2nd. Read some history, give some thought. What d'you see at this spot of time? A change of an epoch. Fallen France, who's major ally, British Empire sends expedition troops to (conquer? stop?) a perfect German modern war machine. It's only Britain now. Nobody else. USSR is still busy dividing Poland and Baltic with Germany. US still have to live through Pearl Harbor disaster to get them into a major war. And UK is aching. Once grand Empire faces now a clear potential Channel dash - and a fight on the Isles themselves. 3rd. A demoralized army group. Yes, they're keeping perfect rows on the beach (very handy for bombing...). But, when it comes to man-to-man, it comes to 'you go, I survive (or I go, you survive, no other alternative). They are moved out, their evacuation ships are sunk, they are moved in again. It's fate. The feeling of fatality runs through 80 pct of the movie. 4th. The army has to be saved. Compulsory. Necessarily. Absolutely. Otherwise, who'll fight when it comes on the English shores?... And here, the 'British' idea unravels to its fullness. You don't save the Army only (though, saving such a number of man is an exceptional retreat operation). It's the Spirit. Spirit, being shown by the people, when the time is at "if not me (us), than who else?!". Those chaps on the beach HAVE to be saved. Even shattered and battered - but in the oncoming years of war to go, they will be a core - as we say in Russia, "a one beaten man costs as two unbeaten". ... And that was brilliantly shown by the movie creators. Through each individual eyes. Through simultaneous events - at sea, on shore, and in the air. The history is about survival. Or extinction. An historic achievement, on the way. When nothing else is viable - you have a moral to keep you going. VERDICT: a brilliant story about the moral. Dramatic. Personal. Painful. And true. ... PS. I praise all acting by all actors in this movie. It's pointless to discuss, who's 'britishness' is more here... But, Mark Rylance, in telling the essence of "There's no hiding from this, son,... We've got a job to do" - that goes deep into your mind. So damn well played!