Dunkirk is a 2017 action/war film written, co-produced and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard, Harry Styles, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, Tom Glynn-Carney, Cillian Murphy, Jack Lowden, and Tom Hardy. The film depicts the dramatic and true story of the Dunkirk evacuations from the war torn beach and harbor in France, while following the seemingly doomed and surrounded allied soldiers during World War II. As the enemy forces close in on the small harbor, it seems the troops have nowhere to go but home.
So where do I begin? I’ve been following this film since late 2015, and to watch this film grow has been absolutely beautiful. With expectations destroyed by Nolan’s last film Interstellar, I found myself very cautious when it came to this film. Not only did this film blow me away, it had me in tears. This is one of Christopher Nolan’s greatest films to date, and an emotional masterpiece of a movie. Nolan’s attention to detail in every aspect of this film makes it one of the best films of the year, and one that shall never be forgotten.
So although this is very much a Nolan film, it is very different from the many others that came before it. The main difference I found was with the films use of characters. Although this film is littered with great actors, there is no main character of sorts. In fact, each character in a way is a supporting character for the true main which is the story. Unlike a lot of films that we see today, Chris Nolan’s take on the events of the Dunkirk evacuation put the story in the spotlight. Although this is a very different way of storytelling, even for the film maker himself, he aces it with flying colors. Dunkirk embraces its new way of storytelling by taking away the common use of an antagonist and places it in the hands of an existential force, that of which being time. Time is the main antagonist in this film as the Germans aren’t even named. There are no Nazis, there are no swastikas, just the enemy that we all face today.. time. I feel like Nolan does a really good job at placing time as a key element, as the story is told in a nonlinear way and focuses on confusing the audience just like how the real men and women of Dunkirk would have felt on those beaches during the evacuation.
But I would be a damn fool if I didn’t speak about the actors that truly made this film. The film’s main character (the story) would be nothing without the fantastic performances by this wonderful cast. My favorite character had to be that of Mark Rylance. The man killed it in every aspect, and brought true emotion to this masterpiece of modern film. Alongside him, Tom Hardy absolutely nailed his performance even though this is yet another film where his face his mostly hidden behind a mask. He does a fantastic job at portraying expressions through the most minute details. I also have to give a shout out to both Harry Styles and Kenneth Branagh. These two were fantastic, and Branagh’s performance had me in tears multiple times.
This obviously wouldn’t be a proper Christopher Nolan film review without talking about the visuals to this film. So far I have seen it in both IMAX and Dolby, and my god.. this is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Although I seemingly say that a lot, I mean this in the sense of practical effects and attention to detail. Nolan’s use of 70mm IMAX cameras throughout this film really paint a solid picture as to how much the man cares about the art of film making. His use of real planes, boats, and hundreds of extras continually push a sense of presence on the audience like no other film before it. Dunkirk constantly bombards you with beautiful visuals and stunning effects that truly make this film almost feel like a documentary, rather than a typical Hollywood war film. There a multiple shots throughout this film that left my jaw on the ground, and eyes gushing with cinematography overload, as this is more than just a film; it’s a piece of art.
No Nolan review would be complete without talking about Hans Zimmer’s score. Without a doubt this is one of Zimmer’s most emotional soundtracks, if I can even call it a soundtrack. More and more, as Nolan and Zimmer both continue with their careers, they continue to change and evolve their own form of art. Five years ago I would have been blaring Zimmer’s music out of my headphones, but Dunkirk‘s soundtrack is much more than the usual soundtrack that most films present. Zimmer’s take on the film isn’t much of a soundtrack but rather an instrument (pun intended) in furthering Nolan’s vision of confusion, doubt, and stress that the film is trying to project onto its viewers. Zimmer’s score is not something that you’re going to go out of your way to purchase after the film has concluded, and that’s not the point. Zimmer’s score is atmospheric to the movie when the focus is in the hands of Nolan’s visuals, and levity when the film needs emotion to be expressed in a different medium. The constant use of the time ticking adds stress and suspense to the viewing audience, and creates a sense of climax to each scene. Although this isn’t a soundtrack marketed to the post viewing audience, it is a score that provides another layer to the character that is the story of this film.
Although this was an absolutely masterful film, I did have some issues with it. With Hollywood constantly pushing the same basic hero’s journey in every film, we’ve come accustom to the usual use of characters, and plot development. Dunkirk continues Nolan’s use on nonlinear storytelling, and adds to it by providing a brand new way of character development in the way of portraying its main character as an event rather than a person. Although this is genius and revolutionary in the world of film, it provides a small issue when it comes to the characters set within the story. Although Dunkirk does a good job at reminding us who is important in each scene, it never gives the audience enough to latch on to these physical characters. It is not a film with a main character that we can connect to on a personal level, and I think this aspect has (and will) turn off a lot of people from this movie. Dunkirk‘s use of nonlinear storytelling might be hard on some audience members, and although I had no issue piecing the pieces together, I know a lot of people that will. As much as I love Nolan’s use of this element throughout a lot of his films, I’ve began questioning the purpose of it in this film in particular. Although it provides a way for the audience to experience multiple arcs from different perspectives, it can get a bit confusing for even the simplest of war films.
As I conclude, Dunkirk was one of the best films of the year, if not the decade. Its unique way of storytelling and emotional score provided one of the best films that Nolan has directed to date, and is an amazing masterpiece in modern film. Although its unique way of storytelling might turn some people away, it left me with my jaw on the ground and tears in my eyes. Nolan’s direction in visuals have progressed beyond that of Interstellar, and proved to be one of the most visually stunning pieces of film in a long time. With all that in mind, I had the easy task of rating this film, which won itself “Golden V’s” on theVade Review Bar. Nolan continues his streak of memorable films by providing us with a story that many of us have forgotten in the form of a movie that none of us will ever forget.
