Dunkirk
Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Rated: PG-13
As British soldiers run through a claustrophobic town square, bullets ricochet in every direction. They're under attack from the enemy. They make their way to the beach for safety. When they arrive, German bombs rain down from the sky obliterating the ground around them. The soldiers reason that a boat could provide protection. A torpedo silently makes its way through the water. The boat is no longer a vessel of protection, but a watery grave. This is Dunkirk, a place where hope is easily lost and the victory is survival.
As British and French soldiers were trapped by the Germans in the small town of Dunkirk, help came from civilians when evacuation was necessary. The film explores the harrowing tale through 3 points of view: land, sea, and air. Land follows a group of soldiers (Fionn Whitehead, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard) trapped on the beach as they struggle to evacuate. Air tracks two RAF pilots (Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden) as they attempt to shoot down German enemy planes that are targeting Dunkirk. Sea follows a civilian father (Mark Rylance) as his son and friend (Tom Glynn-Carney, Barry Keoghan) set out to rescue the trapped soldiers on the beach.
Alright let's talk about Christopher Nolan. You can see so much of his directorial presence inDunkirk. In previous films like Inception and Interstellar, Nolan has been known to focus closely on themes of home and time. Those are two of the biggest themes in Dunkirk as the characters are constantly fighting against a ticking clock (we hear it in the background throughout the movie) fighting to get back home. Speaking of time, the film follows a non-linear narrative that shifts back and forth in the timeline of events frequently. Nolan is never one to play it safe in his films so it's no surprise that he changes up the chronology of events. With Dunkirk, Nolan completely immerses the audience in the war-torn shore of the French beach. He's more interested in creating a visceral experience of the situation than exploring the history behind the event. Due to the film's non-linear narrative, precise editing, and striking cinematography, Dunkirk is probably Nolan's most technically impressive film to date.
While the technical aspects of Dunkirk are truly something to behold, the film lacks a strong emotional core at times. If you've ever read this blog, you know characterization is a huge aspect of the film experience for me. Unfortunately, my biggest issue with Dunkirk lies in its lack of fleshed out characters. The film's 3 sequences are so focused on showcasing the horrifying experience of Dunkirk that the audience never really gets to know the people involved. Mark Rylance's storyline (a civilian rescuing soldiers) is the strongest of the bunch. No surprise because Mark Rylance is the freaking BFG. Oh yeah, he also won an Oscar. (I'm kind of obsessed with Mark Rylance.) As we shift to the storylines of the soldiers of the beach or the air just a little backstory would have gone such a long way. The film clocks in under 2 hours and I would have been fine sitting through a longer run time to learn more about the central characters. What brought them to the war? How long have they been stuck at Dunkirk? Heck, what are their names? Instead of 2 submarines overturning, give me 1 overturned sub and a little personal info. All of the actors do a great job conveying desperation, fear, intensity, and small glimmers of hope. I just really wanted to know a little bit more about them to give the film a stronger emotional foundation. After leaving the theater, I immediately thought about Joe Wright's Atonement, a film that hauntingly tackles Dunkirk with brilliant characterization. It can be done.
The standout of Dunkirk is Hans Zimmer's tension-filled score and sound mixing. Wow, talk about keeping you on the edge of your seat. I truly don't think this film would be half as effective without the sound. Every track matches its scene brilliantly. One particular track entitled "Supermarine" sounds as if an alarm is going off while you are running out of oxygen. While watching, I truly felt like I couldn't breathe due to the combination of visuals and sounds...then I had to remind myself I was sitting in a movie theater. I'm always impressed with Hans Zimmer's contributions to Christopher Nolan's films, but this is my favorite collaboration between the two.
We'll never know how truly terrifying it was to be at Dunkirk, but Christopher Nolan pushes his audience straight into a recreated experience that's chaotic, disturbing and, at times, completely hopeless. Through the horrors of it all, there are glimpses of hope. Although the film does stumble with its lack of characterization, Dunkirk is a technical marvel that should be seen on the big screen. It will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
My Rating: 8/10