Dunkirk is Christopher Nolan's newest film, and depicts the effort to evacuate 400,000 British soldiers that were surrounded by the enemy on a beach in Dunkirk in 1940. The film follows the journey of the stranded soldiers on land, the civilians sent on boats across the sea and the contribution of the Royal Air Force in the air. It stars Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy who return to work with Nolan after previously appearing in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, as well as Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance. Joining them are newcomers Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard and Harry Styles.
Dunkirk is a masterfully directed film, right from the opening scene. The tension never eases, helped in part by the electrifying score by Hans Zimmer. Nolan’s dislike for the over use of CGI really assists the films' remarkably authentic tone, from the expansive crowds of soldiers to the explosions and gunfire. The realism rivets you as a viewer, and as a result the lack of a protagonist is not realised. The portrayal of the terrifying situation draws you into the story, making you care for the characters despite having limited knowledge of their backstory, often not even their name. Additionally, as can be expected from Nolan, the film has an epic feeling to it; he manages to capture the scope of the event, including the huge number of soldiers stranded, the contribution of the civilians and tense aerial battles.
With a cast as magnificent as in this film, it comes as no surprise that the acting is impeccable. Though it is not a character driven movie, with the focus of the story being the extraordinary event itself rather than any one character, every actor's performance makes you empathise with them and root for their survival. The realism depicted throughout aids in creating an experience for the audience themselves: the film evokes feelings of entrapment, fear and desperation masterfully. Most of the people portrayed in the film are not based on any one person and instead represent a group of real people who were involved in the event. This allows the film to capture the different elements of a huge event, involving many different groups of people. For example, Kenneth Branagh's character is an amalgamation of several officers involved in the evacuation at Dunkirk. Though this doesn't help in the way of complete accuracy, as a storytelling device this is highly effective.
Hans Zimmer delivers an extraordinary masterpiece of a score, though I have come to expect nothing less. In fact his score was one of the reasons I was anticipating the film. Throughout the film, the score builds and builds until you think it can build no more, then suddenly quietens to allow you to fully experience the tension and fear permeating through the scene. Particular favourites of mine from the soundtrack include 'The Oil', 'Variation 15' and 'Supermarine'.
If this film receives no other Oscar (heaven forbid!) it is sure to gain a nomination for the incredible sound design. Every gunshot and explosion feels impactful. By the end of the film, the sound of a whirring plane engine feels unclear as the audience is left to wonder whether its the sound of an oncoming enemy or ally. The cinematography is similarly brilliant- there are some really beautiful shots in the film as well as some really harrowing imagery.
Nolan is known for his non-linear story telling, seen especially in his films Memento, Interstellar and Batman Begins which all play around with the chronological timeline of the story being told. One may expect Dunkirk to be his most straightforward film yet, however Nolan once again defies the conventions of the genre by including three different timelines for each of the three narratives. Easily missed upon first viewing, the ‘Mole’ (i.e. a structure used as a pier, as used by the British forces to evacuate men) happens over the timeline of a week, the sea element (with Mark Rylance) spans the length of a day and the air aspect with the Air Force occurs in just an hour. Through masterful editing and direction, all these stories are told simultaneously. I cannot wait to watch the film for a second time to truly appreciate how the timelines match up exactly, as admittedly I was left a bit confused as to how some of it matched up, especially in regards to Cillian Murphy’s character.
In case you've seen the film, here is a clear explanation of the timelines from Youtube channel, AtZ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUwRuUWHMFc
Dunkirk is the best film of the year so far, surpassing even the previous bearer of that title, Baby Driver. Incredibly directed, amazingly acted and masterfully scored, Dunkirk is a powerful film that must be experienced in cinemas.
If you’re looking for a deep character study, you won’t find it here which means that this film won’t be for everyone. As of right now I am undecided whether the decision to portray three different timelines was confusing and unnecessary or a stroke of genius that elevates the film above a lot of others in the genre. Right now, I veer towards the latter.
Grade: F D C- C C+ B- B B+ A- A A+
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I do not own any of the images used in this post; all images from IMDb