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Behind the Line: Escape to Dunkirk
By Alistair Lawrence,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Budget World War II drama has violence, some swearing.
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Behind the Line: Escape to Dunkirk
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What's the Story?
BEHIND THE LINE: ESCAPE TO DUNKIRK is a World War II drama about a group of British soldiers who are captured by the Nazis as they attempt to make their way through occupied France. Among the soldiers is Danny Finnegan (Sam Gittins), an accomplished boxer, who is forced to partake in various boxing fights. In a bid to join the Allied forces in Dunkirk, Danny and his fellow soldiers orchestrate a daring escape.
Is It Any Good?
A war movie that does battle on a budget, Behind the Line: Escape to Dunkirk is a modest period drama that attempts to celebrate the familiar tropes of war movies where good triumphs over evil. Despite a decent opening set piece and some well-drilled performances in its boxing scenes, it struggles to sustain any real tension as it follows a group of Allied soldiers during their time in a prisoner-of-war camp. The characters' dialogue is mostly exposition, sucking the drama out of scenes and leading to very little actual characterization.
With the secondary characters in particular barely developed, there's very little to invest in here. The accents from the supporting cast -- who are supposed to be French and German -- also frequently slip. The plot to escape the POW camp features intermittently, obscured by the boxing matches Danny must undertake to negotiate marginal gains with the Germans. However, the escape is supposed to be the movie's climax, leading to a muddled ending that literally packs a punch, but falls a long way short of a cinematic KO.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of war in Behind the Line: Escape to Dunkirk. What do you know about World War II? Do you think this was a realistic portrayal of war? How to talk to kids about violence, crime, and war.
What did you think about the movie's violence? Was it too frequent? Did it help drive the narrative forward?
How do Danny's boxing achievements both help and hinder him? What character strengths does he display? Why are these good traits to have?
How does this movie compare with other war movies? Do you have a favorite? What do or don't you like about war movies?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: August 18, 2020
- Cast: Sam Gittins , Joe Egan , Jennifer Martin
- Director: Ben Mole
- Studio: Trinity Creative Partnership
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- Run time: 87 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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