Based on the actual battle where 400,000 British, Belgium, and French troops were trapped on a beach in France, Dunkirk takes a look at the moment from three different perspectives, soldier, pilots and savior. During this pivotal battle, the soldiers were unable to escape due to the German’s picking off the ships in the harbor. As many as 200 boats were lost. However, due to the efforts of small sailing ships, 330,000 troops were able to be evacuated.