"HAMLET" TO "HARRY POTTER."

PLEASE WELCOME FIVE-TIME ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE KENNETH BRANAGH!

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )

GOOD TO SEE YOU!

COME RIGHT OVER HERE, SIR.

AH, WE'VE NEVER MET BEFORE.

>> WE HAVE NOT.

>> Stephen: I'M SUCH A FAN.

EVER SINCE HENRY V.

WE GOT TO KNOW YOU IN AMERICA, EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT FOR US.

CHEERS AND "DUNKIRK."

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: WHICH HASN'T BEEN RELEASED.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE MOVIE OF THE SUMMER.

PEOPLE SAY IT'S INCREDIBLY EXCITING, DEEPLY AFFECTING,

SHOWING BOTH THE HORROR OF WAR AND THE BEAUTY OF HUMAN

SACRIFICE AND LOVE FOR THEIR FELLOW MAN AND WHAT THEY'RE

WILLING TO DO FOR BOTH COUNTRY AND HUMANITY.

BUT WE IN AMERICA DON'T KNOW THE STORY OF "DUNKIRK" VERY WELL.

DID YOU GROW UP WITH THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED?

>> WE GREW UP WITH "DUNKIRK" SPIRIT WHICH IS THIS SENSE OF

NEVER SURRENDER, AND IT WAS BORN OUT OF 1940, 40,000 MEN, MOSTLY

BRITISH, WERE FORCED ON THE ISLAND OF "DUNKIRK."

>> Stephen: "DUNKIRK" IS THERE, THEN FRANCE.

26 MILES?

>> 26 MILES.

THE ENTIRE BRITISH ARMY WERE TRAPPED THERE AND THE GERMAN

FORCES HAD THEM UNDER ATTACK WITH LAND FORCES FROM ABOVE AND

SEA.

THERE WAS A THING CALLED OPERATION DYNAMO AND IT WAS TO

GET THE MEN BACK HOME.

IT WAS INCREDIBLE AND PRODUCED AN AMAZING MIRACLE WHICH WAS TO

INVITE THE CIVILIAN FLEET OF BOATS FROM THE SOUTHERN HALF OF

ENENGLAND TO COME AND HELP.

>> Stephen: FISHING BOATS.

15-FOOT BOTH.

>> 26 MILES.

400,000 PEOPLE, THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.

THE EXPECTATION, THE HOPE FROM WINSTON CHURCHILL WHO HAD BEEN

PRIME MINISTER FOR 16 DAYS AT THAT POINT WAS THAT MAYBE THEY

WOULD GET 30,000 MEN BACK.

THAT'S WHAT THEY HOPED FOR.

IN THE END, 360 PEOPLE WERE RESCUED FROM THAT BEACH

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: AMAZING.

AND THE THING IS THAT THIS IS THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE,

THIS IS THE BRITISH ARMY.

>> EXACTLY IS THAT YOU'RE ALL IN HERE.

IF THIS FORCE GETS WIPED OUT, IT'S GOING TO BE A MUCH

DIFFERENT WAR FOR ALL THE ALLIES.

>> YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.

IF THAT RESCUE HADN'T OCCURRED, IF HOME HADN'T COME FOR THEM, IF

EVERY SORT OF MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD HADN'T COME ACROSS THE

26 MILES OF WOULD YOU HAVE WATER UN-- COME ACROSS ROUGH WATER

UNDER ATTACK, WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED FOR EUROPE

AND THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF YOURS.

THANK GOODNESS.

PART OF WHAT HAPPENED WAS I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

RESPONDED WITH SOME DELIGHT AND SURPRISE AND AWE AND SAW SOME

"DUNKIRK" SPIRIT AND I THINK IT HAD A BIG IMPACT ON THE DECISION

TO COME HELP US.

>> Stephen: D.-DAY WAS A DIRECT REVERSAL FROM THIS

MOMENT, NOT FAR FROM THAT SPOVMENT NORMANDY IS JUST DOWN

THE BEACH A BIT.

>> IT'S AMAZING.

ALL THOSE PEOPLE LEFT IN 1940 AND WITH YOUR HELP CAME BACK

FOUR YEARS LATER.

WE MET SOME "DUNKIRK" VETERANS LAST WEEK AT THE PREMIERE.

>> Stephen: THAT MUST HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARY.

>> AMAZING.

I SAID, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE FILM?

THEY SAID, THE FILM WAS LOUDER THAN THE BATTLE.

( LAUGHTER ) IT WAS.

WHICH I THINK REALLY TICKLED CHRIS NO LAND.

THEY SAID EVERYTHING CHRIS NO LAND PUTS IN THE MOVIE WAS AS

THEY EXPERIENCED IT.

IN THAT SENSE, IT WAS BEYOND EXHILARATING AND SCARY, BUT THE

NOISE OF THE BOMBS AT "DUNKIRK" DID FOUL ON THE AIR.

IT'S A MASSIVE STRETCH OF BEACH.

BUT TRAPPED IN CHRIS NO LAND'S AMAZING VISION OF THIS CONFLICT,

YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM THE SOUND OF THE BOMBS.

>> Stephen: NING THIS CLIP, YOU ARE ROYAL COMMANDER WHO?

>> BOLTON, A NAVAL COMMANDER.

THIS WAS A PIECE WHERE THE TENSION BETWEEN THE NAVY AND THE

ARMY ABOUT WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET THE MEN OFF THIS BEACH.

>> Stephen: JIM?

BUT IT'S RIGHT THERE.

YOU CAN PRACTICALLY SEE IT.

>> SEEING HOME DOESN'T HELP US GET THERE, COLONEL.

>> THEY NEED TO SEND MORE SHIPS.

EVERY HOUR THE ENEMY PUSHES CLOSER.

>> THEY'VE ACTIVATED THE SMALL VESSELS.

>> SMALL VESSELS?

THE LIST OF CIVILIAN BOATS FOR REQUISITION.

>> CIVILIAN?

WE NEED DESTROYERS.

>> SMALL BOATS GET CLOSER TO THE BEACH.

>> NOT IN THESE CONDITIONS.

I WOULD RATHER FACE WAVES THAN DIVE BOMBERS.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I LOVE THIS STORY.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS MOVIE.

WHEN I WAS A BOY THE FIRST BOOK I CHOSE TO READ IN A SINGLE

SITTING WAS SILENCE OVER "DUNKIRK."

IT'S AN AMAZING STORY.

I CAN'T WAIT.

ONE OF THE INCREDIBLE THINGS ABOUT THIS IS THAT, ACE SAID, WE

FIRST GOT TO KNOW YOU IN "HENRY V," WHICH ENDS WITH A BATTLE

WHICH IS JUST BELOW WHERE THAT D IS IN "DUNKIRK" THERE, AND

THAT'S, WHAT, 800 YEARS AGO?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> Stephen: SO BATTLES HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS

THIS.

>> THEY HAVE.

I THINK IN HENRY, THIS BATTLE WAS ANOTHER AMAZING UNDERSTORY

PIECE OF DRAMA.

5,000 BRITS AGAINST 30,000 FRENCH AND THEY WON IN AN

INCREDIBLE REVERSAL OF FORTUNE.

SOMETHING ABOUT THE UNDERDOG STORY, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT

WAS PART OF YOUR INTEREST IN READING THAT BOOK, BUT THE HUMAN

MIRACLE OF "DUNKIRK" IS WHAT TAKES YOU PERSONALLY INTO THE

HEART OF THESE STORIES.

ONE OF THE AMAZING THINGS OF CHRIS NO LAND'S FILM IS YOU'RE

AWARE OF ITS SCALE.

SUCH A WHITE KNUCKLE EXPERIENCE.

IF YOU SEE THIS MOVIE, YOU NEED TO GET READY FOR SOMETHING.

BUT YOU EXPERIENCE THE EPIC THING, BEING AMONG THE

4 MILLION, AND FEELING THE BOMBS AND BOATS AND WEATHER CHANGING,

BUT YOU RELIVE IT IN PERSONAL STORIES AND INVITE YOU TO GO,

WHAT WOULD I DO?

I'VE SEEN IT THREE TIMES.

THE FIRST TIME, I WAS AWASH, IT WAS SO EMOTIONAL.

THE SECOND TIME, I FOUND MYSELF UNDERSTANDING HOW BRILLIANT

CHRIS NO LAND'S SCHEME WAS, AND THE THIRD TIME I WAS EXHILARATED

BIT, ADMIRING IT SO MUCH.

IT'S THAT HUMAN TOUCH.

HE PUTS THE PERSONAL AND THE EPIC TOGETHER.

HE'S DONE A WONDERFUL THING.

HATS OFF TO HIM.

IT'S MARVELOUS.

>> Stephen: I HAD A FRIEND WHO SAW IT AND SHE SAID IT IS A

DEEPLY EMOTIONALLY AFFECTING MOVIE, AND SHE SAID IT'S LIKE A

TWO-HOUR PANIC ATTACK THAT YOU'RE SO GLAD YOU HAD.

>> I FEEL YOU SHOULD TAKE A BOX BEFORE YOU GO IN AND SAY FIGHT

OR FLIGHT BECAUSE YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY IN AN ADRENALIZED

MOMENT.

WHAT HE DOES, HE SEEMS TO MAKE THE AUDIENCE SORT OF SIGN

SOMETHING THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU TIME TO THINK.

YOU WILL ONLY HAVE TIME TO FEEL AND REACT JUST LIKE THESE PEOPLE

IN THE MOVIE SO THAT BY THE END OF IT YOU FEEL YOU ARE RIGHT

THERE WITH THEM.

>> Stephen: AS I WAS SAYING, I FIRST GOT TO KNOW YOU IN HENRY

V AND WE'VE SEEN YOUR HAMLET AND YOUR "AS YOU LIKE IT."

DID YOU ALWAYS LOVE SHAKESPEARE?

EVEN AS A BOY DID YOU TAKE TO IT?

>> NO, I CAME FROM A WORKING CLASS BELFAST FAMILY AND MY

PARENTS WERE NOT REMOTELY ASSOCIATED WITH BOOKS OR

SHAKESPEARE.

>> Stephen: WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ACCENT?

>> I GUESS WHEN I WAS NINE I CAME TO ENGLAND, AND AT THAT

TIME I GUESS YOU WANT TO JUST KIND OF BLEND IN AND FIT.

>> Stephen: SURE.

FRANKLY, ALSO, YOU WANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

AND PEOPLE WERE SO INCREDIBLY INTOLERANT OF ACCENTS.

I THINK PEOPLE ARE MUCH MORE TOLERANT OF ACCENTS NOW, DON'T

YOU THINK.

>> Stephen: AH -- SURE.

ACCEPTING THIS GREAT DIVERSITY.

>> Stephen: SURE, YEAH.

BUT PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE YOUR ACCENT AS A BOY?

>> WELL, I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING THAT -- THERE WAS

QUITE A LOT OF RIBBING ABOUT IT.

>> Stephen: DOES IT COME BACK IS THIS.

>> OF COURSE, IT DOES, STEPHEN.

MY ACCENT COMES BACK BECAUSE I THINK IF THERE WAS A SECOND

MOVIE OF TIRKIN I COULD POSSIBLY PLAY LIAM NEESON'S GRAND-DAD AND

SAY I HAVE A VERY PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS

( LAUGHTER ) AND IF YOU DO NOT RETURN MY

DAUGHTER TO ME, I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL KILL YOU.

( IN IRISH ACCENT ) ( APPLAUSE )

>> Stephen: I INTERRUPTED YOU BE SHAKESPEARE.

YOU'RE A YOUNG BOY OR MAN AND DIDN'T LIKE IT?

>> WE WERE ASKED TO READ IT WHEN I WAS 13 IN SCHOOL.

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON.

MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN READING THE PHONE DIRECTORY.

WE WENT TO SEE ROMEO AND JULIET.

I FELT DURING THAT SHOW I WENT THROUGH PUBERTY.

IT WAS SO THRILLING.

THERE WERE FIGHTS AND GANGS.

I WANTED TO BE IN THE GANGS.

IT SEEMED KIND OF COOL.

THE GUY CLIMBED THE BALCONY LOOKED PRETTY BUTCH, THAT WOULD

BE THE WAY TO GET THE GIRL, YOU KNOW, HE SPOKE A LOT.

I THOUGHT, THAT'S A TECHNIQUE AS WELL.

I THOUGHT, MAYBE I SHOULD SPEAK A LOT AND HANG OUT ON THE

BALCONIES.

BUT IT WAS MAINLY, I THINK, FRANKLY, SHAKESPEARE EQUALS SEX,

THAT'S WHAT GOT ME.

>> Stephen: YEAH, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ALONE.

LOVELY TO MEET YOU.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> Stephen: "DUNKIRK" OPENS TODAY.

IT'S OUT NOW.

KENNETH BRANAGH, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK