World on Fire Episode 5 2019

     Belgium has fallen to Germany and Harry’s unit continues to flee.  They are making their way to Dunkirk along with other troops and civilians.  They are hoping to board a ship back to England.  German planes are bombing and strafing the caravans of the refugees fleeing to safety.  The troops encounter a truck full of British troops and they are so shell-shocked that they can only babble nonsense.  These troops are taken to a hospital and Webster is in charge of the hospital.  The German planes drop fliers telling the people to surrender in the face of hopelessness.  Herr Rossler finds a letter about Hilda in his office.  Kasia is still participating in the killing of German soldiers.  Tom is in Dunkirk helping evacuate soldiers from the beaches.  Gregor is also there plus Albert’s friend Eddie is fleeing to England.  Lois and her musical partner are performing for troops at an air base near Manchester.  Her father has shell shock due to uncertainty about her brother Tom.  He offers to watch Jan for Robina.  Douglas has a nervous breakdown.  Nancy reports that the Germans are invading France and they need help from America.

TV series, PBS Masterpiece series with seven episodes. each episode is one hour long, directed by Adam Smith, Thomas Napper, Andy Wilson, Chanya Button and written by Peter Bowker with Sean Bean, Julia Brown, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Arthur Darvill, Blake Harrison, Jonah Hauer-King, Helen Hunt, Patrick Kennedy, Lesley Manville, Ewan Mitchell, Parker Sawyers, Brian J. Smith, Zofia Wichlacz, Charlie Creed-Miles, Tomasz Kot, Agata Kuleza, Victoria Mayer, Max Rieselt.  5* (I really liked this episode) 

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10 with 2,589 views, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 27 critics 54% with 13 user ratings, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1,152 reviews, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 12 critics (11 positive 1 mixed) 5 out of 10 (3 positive 2 negative), indiewire.com Grade B-.

Special Note:  Commissioned by the BBC in October 2017, casting began in October 2018.  Filmed in Prague, Chester, Liverpool, Lytham St. Annes, Wigan and Lyme Park. This episode begins the rescue effort initiated by the British people to rescue as many refugees in their private boats as possible.  This was a critical turning point in the War!!   The Allies are losing the battle on the Western Front in France.  The evacuation of British and other Allied forces from Europe was from 26 May to 4 June 1940.  The armistice with France and the Germans occurred on 22 June 1940.  Surprisingly, the Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk.  It was because the Germans feared an Allied breakout against their troops.   Many of the French soldiers were taken prisoner by the Germans but 123,000 were rescued.  At least 40,000 British soldiers were left behind.