The Chronicles of Marna

My husband Paul and I recently went to see the movie Atonement starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Since it was nominated for Golden Globes in several categories and there was a big buzz about it, I expected a powerful movie that would change my life, or at least send shock waves through it. The kind of movie I would want to see again and again, like the Matrix or Bridge Over the River Kwai. Disappointingly, Atonement wasn’t one of those movies. But since I am a sucker for period dramas, particular those involving a titled English family and their country estate, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Sometimes it’s really handy to be married to an Army guy with a PhD in History. He’s a talking, breathing encyclopedia sitting next to me. For example, in one of the movie scenes, a British soldier separated from his unit travels through France to find them. When he finally comes to the coast, he peeks over the dunes and glimpses a military staging operation on the beach. My first thought was D-Day but I wasn’t sure.

“What is that?” I whispered to Paul, as I sensed that knowing was essential to following the story-line.

“That would be the evacuation at Dunkirk,” he said tersely, not taking his eyes off the screen.

“How can you tell?” I persisted.  A two second vignette of soldiers on the beach and he knew exactly what it was???

“I know my history,” he said with a shrug. “It’s the only thing it could be.”

It was that simple. OK. Clearly I DON’T know my history, so when we got home, I lifted the globe from the top shelf of the bookcase and commenced to find “Dunkirk.” It’s a fishing port in France. My trusty Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia notes, “In 1940 (May 26-June 4) it was scene of one of most memorable naval actions in history when some 300,000 Allied troops, cut off by German advance on Channel ports, were evacuated to England. Dunkirk was left in ruins. Germans held out there against Allies until May 1945.”

So now I know.

marna at household baggage dot com

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