DUNKIRK, WHAT'S LEFT ASIDE

Numerous reviews on the "Dunkirk" have already mentioned all the movie's most epic moments: camera's filigree work, musical acompaniment by wizard Hans Zimmer, the atmosphere of existential fear, quiet patriotism and civic courage.

But let's recall what's been missed in the plot. First and the foremost, there is no context - the circumstances of the German tank breakthrough that caused the encirclement. On the other hand, this is understandable - this could requie a separate movie.

There is no mention of the fact that Allied troops got surrounded not only in Dunkirk; on the eve, the same encirclements had been formed in Lille, Amiens and Calais. Only 400 soldiers were managed to evacuate from Kale by sea.

In the movie we cannot see those thousand armored vehicles, four hundred tanks, several thousand cannons and mortars that remained near the coastline.

What's important - there is no mention of the British argerard. It was they, who kept the outer perimeter by a hard resistance, and eventually saved the British Army's military reputation, not a heroic evacuation.

French's 2nd Light Mechanized and the 68th Infantry Division - which soldiers kept to the end and were captured eventually - are represented in the plot by 3 soldiers.

At the same time, small separate companies and battalions of the elite royal guard resisted the enemy near the town of La Parady: Royal Scottish Riflemen and Royal Norfolk Rifflemen, the legendary Cold Stream Guards and Guards Grenadiers were fighting on the river channels.

It was the fighting spirit, phenomenal preparation, age traditions and a select officer staff of the UK's elite units - who had faced the aggressive and well-trained soldiers from the Totenkopf Divission - that allowed to fix the front line and win the require time. 

However, these 4,000 guardsmen have been missed.

by Yuriy MIKHALCHISHIN