As "Great Escape at Dunkirk" (2018 release; 55 min.) opens, we are reminded of the overall dire situation: 400,000 allied soldiers are stranded on the beach of Dunkirk as the Nazis are moving ever closer. The Germans had invaded nearby Belgium on May 10, 1940, the very same day that Winston Churchill was named the new Prime Minister of the UK. Just 2 weeks later, Churchill would mastermind one of the greatest feats of WWII...
Couple of comments: this documentary uncovers new evidence what exactly happened in Dunkirk in May, 1940. The film makers dig up previously unseen documents at the National Archives in London. They also look for Spitfires that flew missions over Dunkirk (how do they know this? Just watch!). On top of all that, we hear from Dunkirk veterans who were actually there to witness it all (amazingly, they all recall the stench of the many dead bodies that went unburied). Given the many aspects of the Miracle of Dunkirk, it seems to me that this documentary could've gone in yet more details, perhaps taking 90 min. Rather than just the 55 min., which flew by in no time.
This documentary first aired on the long-running PBS franchise NOVA in 2018, riding the coat tails of the excellent Christopher Nolan film "Dunkirk" that was released to critical acclaim and commercial success in 2017. I happened to catch a rerun of this a few weeks ago. So glad I did, and better late than never. If you have any interest in WWII in general, or the Miracle of Dunkirk in particular, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.