Goofs

During the library scene, Cecilia slips her shoe off while making love. When Briony interrupts, both of Cecilia's shoes are still on.

During the dinner party scene, Cecilia's fingernails go from being painted to unpainted, with no break in the action allowing her time to have removed the nail polish.

When Cecilia and Robbie are in the restaurant drinking tea, Robbie has a full cup. Then the camera moves. When the camera goes back to him and he starts to drink the tea, there is no tea in the cup at all.

In the lake scene at the manor house, Cecilia is lying on her back on the springboard with her left leg over her right in the first shot. When the shot changes to a closer one with her feet towards the camera, she has her right leg over her left.

The birthmark under Briony's right eye is too close to the nose on the portrayal of Briony at 18 years old, compared to the other two ages. It also looks way too raised compared to that of her at 13 and 77 (which could understandably fade in later life).

On arriving on the beach at Dunkirk, Robbie is told of the sinking of the Lancastria and the loss of 3000 men. This event actually occurred 17 days later on June 17 1940.

The last day of Dunkirk evacuation was the 4th of June, not the 1st. The Navy officer tells Robbie that there were 300,000 men waiting on the beach, but the 1st of June, there were about 118,000 soldiers waiting ; I think in the circumstances, we can forgive the Navy officer for inaccuracy and exaggeration.

While in London, Cecilia drops a letter in the mailbox addressed to PTE Turner, 'A' Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, B.E.F. France. According to at least one source, 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment was never in France. They were in Egypt and thus, would not have taken part in the Dunkirk Evacuation. 2nd Battalion was at Dunkirk, not 1st Battalion.

Even now, no-one would consider using a typewriter for a personal letter of apology.

Any apparent continuity errors in the fountain scene - the position of the vase, the tennis shoes, Robbie's sitting position, Cecilia's strap slip, the buttons on her blouse etc. - are not what they seem: we are seeing the same event in different ways through different pairs of eyes.

Newsreel footage from the War mentions Queen Elizabeth. Some have incorrectly assumed that it refers to Queen Elizabeth II, who was crowned in 1952. However, the film shows the future Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, wife of King George VI, who was called Queen Elizabeth at the time.

In the Dunkirk beach scene, after Robbie and Tommy walk around the stern of the boat, one of the horses that had just been shot can be seen trying to get up again.

As the three soldiers are walking back to the coast, three war planes are reflected in the stream next to them ("Some poor blighter's going to catch a packet!") From that camera angle, the originals should be visible in the sky. Given that they are clearly flying low, they would appear and be gone in a moment - hence they are flying far slower than they would or could in reality.

Closing credits refer to 'the dog and gramaphone logo' (all capitals). 'Gramaphone' seems always to be an incorrect spelling.

When Robbie is standing behind the movie screen at Dunkirk, the men in the audience hum/sing "White Cliffs of Dover." The song was written in 1941, and Dunkirk Evacuation was in 1940. The song became most famous when Vera Lynn recorded it in 1942.

When Robbie is writing the letter to Cecilia, we see a record being put on a phonograph. The recording is from what some consider the greatest operatic recording ever of opera La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, directed in 1956 by Sir Thomas Beecham and featuring Jussi Björling and Victoria de los Ángeles.

The second No 19 bus in the shot is a post war vehicle.

In the section of the movie set in 1935, there is a scene where Robbie is daydreaming and the image of a large four-engined aircraft crosses above him. Given the era, and from its shape, this can only be intended to be a Short Stirling bomber. But the Stirling did not fly until 1939 nor enter service until 1940. Given that it is clearly flying low, it's flying far slower than it would or could in reality.

When Robbie and his two comrades pass through a bombed-out factory complex on their way to Dunkirk, they stumble along a Railway track where the rails are fastened Down with 'Pandrol' clips invented in 1957.

When Briony drops her flashlight and runs to Lola's side in the woods there is a second flashlight shining on the two, even though no one else is there.

In the scene in London streets, when Robbie and Cecilia are walking, the lens of the steady cam can be seen clearly reflected in the window of a parked car.

In the scene where the older Briony visits Cecilia, the actor's marks, which are bright orange strips of tape, are clearly visible on the floor next to Cecilia's feet.

When Briony walks in on Cecilia and Robbie in the library from Briony's perspective, there is a shadow of a boom visible off in the distance behind her before she enters the room.