When context counts

I agree with Conrad Black’s take on Chris Nolan’s newly released version of Dunkirk. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this movie for some time but after reading Mr. Black’s column, I’m prepared to be disappointed. Evidently, Nolan has omitted much of the important political context of one of the key events of the opening round of the Second World War. Nolan apparently thought much of this context was (as Conrad quotes): “not relevant to today’s audiences.” Nonsense!

At its core, the Second World War was the culmination of a contest between three dominant political ideologies of the day: Fascism (in its National Socialist guise in Germany), communism and democracy. In the spring of 1940, the existence of the latter — at least in Europe — hung in the balance. Without this understanding, Dunkirk, like the charge of the Light Brigade nearly 100 years before, makes for a great heroic epic but of marginal import historically. I share Black’s pessimism regarding the probable paucity of “under 40s” who are fully aware of how much was really at stake at Dunkirk in May of 1940.

For those who would consign the historical/political context of the world’s major conflicts of the past century to irrelevancy, especially for the sake of political correctness, the cliché — those who don’t learn from history … comes immediately to mind. The same kinds of circumstances that prevailed in Europe and gave rise to the greatest conflict in human history can happen again. Don’t believe me — open your eyes and take a good look around the world.

P.S. I’m still going to see the movie. I love a good war story as much as the next bloke. We also need an environmental assessment process that truly respects the rights of Indigenous peoples, and that takes into account upstream and downstream carbon emissions; and that is transparent and fair so that years aren’t wasted on projects that will never happen. But we do not need foreign companies buying off our resources, for questionable benefit to the quality of life of average Canadians, and further entrenching this country and the planet in carbon infrastructure and emissions. Smart decision, Petronas. I can’t believe that nobody has uncovered that old song, written by Tom Lehrer, back in the 1950s, which appears to be so applicable to this story. It starts “Be prepared, that’s the Boy Scout’s marching song / Be prepared, as through life you march along / be prepared to hold your liquor pretty well / don’t write naughty words on walls if you can’t spell / be prepared, to hide that pack of cigarettes, / don’t make book, if you cannot cover bets / keep those reefers hidden where you’re sure that they will not be found / and be certain not to smoke them when the scoutmaster’s around, / for he only will insist that they be shared, / Be Prepared.

There is an even more appropriate second verse, but I won’t quote, for the sake of brevity.