Written by: Kevin Berge
You won't know anybody's name by the end, but you will fear burning water. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
Quick Take: Dunkirk portrays war honestly with a focus on the events more than the people with three different viewpoints. This makes it both a unique and intense portrayal of its subject matter but also a limited human view, lacking much of a story and feeling more than a front row seat for the events.
***This is a spoiler-free review of Dunkirk due to its release this year, but it will include some information about basic character roles in this story. Those wanting to go into this movie completely unspoiled should wait to read this until after they have seen the film.***
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) has become a famous filmmaker quickly thanks to a few defining features in his movies, thematic focus and personal effects. Each of his films to date have used fictional stories to convey an overall theme that draws in close to its characters by the end of the film.
Dunkirk does not hold these same driving tenets. As Nolan's first film focused on real events, it feels quite different from his blockbuster work. In fact, it is also quite different from most other war films. Most might have expected Nolan to focus on a few characters in the war, but he instead focuses on the battle for survival itself.
This movie places the camera squarely in the midst of the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II where the Allied forces were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, waiting for rescue as the Axis pressed in on their position. The focus is on three groups: soldiers stuck on land, a civilian boat coming to help, and pilots battling in the skies.
I have a better time remember the actor names in this films than the characters. The stranded soldiers include characters played by Fionn Whitehead (Him), Harry Styles (One Direction), and Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet). Meanwhile, Tom Hardy (Inception) leads the air fight, and Tom Glynn-Carney (Casualty), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), and Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later) are on the civilian boat.
The lack of character execution though does not take away from consistently excellent supporting acting from the cast. The younger actors were relative unknowns, yet they feel at home in their roles. Meanwhile, Rylance, Hardy, and Branagh are strong enough to make you care about their characters with limited screen time.
That acting amounts to just enough to feel for the characters in these horrific situations, but there's never a sense of connection. This is intentional though as Nolan does not seem all that attached to them himself. They are parts of the frightening situation which is the star of the film.
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) has become a famous filmmaker quickly thanks to a few defining features in his movies, thematic focus and personal effects. Each of his films to date have used fictional stories to convey an overall theme that draws in close to its characters by the end of the film.
Dunkirk does not hold these same driving tenets. As Nolan's first film focused on real events, it feels quite different from his blockbuster work. In fact, it is also quite different from most other war films. Most might have expected Nolan to focus on a few characters in the war, but he instead focuses on the battle for survival itself.
This movie places the camera squarely in the midst of the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II where the Allied forces were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, waiting for rescue as the Axis pressed in on their position. The focus is on three groups: soldiers stuck on land, a civilian boat coming to help, and pilots battling in the skies.
I have a better time remember the actor names in this films than the characters. The stranded soldiers include characters played by Fionn Whitehead (Him), Harry Styles (One Direction), and Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet). Meanwhile, Tom Hardy (Inception) leads the air fight, and Tom Glynn-Carney (Casualty), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), and Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later) are on the civilian boat.
The lack of character execution though does not take away from consistently excellent supporting acting from the cast. The younger actors were relative unknowns, yet they feel at home in their roles. Meanwhile, Rylance, Hardy, and Branagh are strong enough to make you care about their characters with limited screen time.
That acting amounts to just enough to feel for the characters in these horrific situations, but there's never a sense of connection. This is intentional though as Nolan does not seem all that attached to them himself. They are parts of the frightening situation which is the star of the film.
I really hope my favorite soldier, Soldier 64, doesn't die. (Image Courtesy of: indiewire.com)
War films have largely been driven by focus on individuals mainly because films are told through stories. The most engaging experiences are ones you can empathize with. Unlike Saving Private Ryan or even the recent Hacksaw Ridge though, this is far removed from its individuals which makes it a difficult movie to watch.
At first, I didn't feel anything keeping me focus on the movie. With no foothold and the jumps between scenes, Dunkirk is not an easy film to watch before the horrific moments of the story unfold. However, the film has a real empathy for the events. In some ways, it allows the viewer to engage in the scenes on their own.
I would have liked to have a stronger story or less jumping between scenes, but I appreciated the experience as it moved along. The climax of Dunkirk is grimy and visceral in a way that is engrossing. There is no glory here just survival which creates a far clearer picture of how war must feel at its worst.
Nolan's direction here is largely spot on. The jumps are so perfectly timed and transitioned that it can distract from how much different one situation is from the next. Moreover, the action in the film is intensely focused and gripping. Every moment is driving forward.
I do wish that Nolan had kept a firmer and steadier grip on time in the film. Each of the three stories moves at a different rate based on the perceptions of the characters in the moment which is fascinating but makes jumps each jarring, pushing away from the sense of the immersion that makes the film effective.
Ultimately, Dunkirk is about survival, and it pulls its characters through so many scenarios to come out alive. Death is ever-present, and there is a feeling that no one is safe. When anyone dies, it is just expectation. Nothing is lingered upon, making even the most present character anonymous if they fall.
While I enjoy Nolan's work more personal, Dunkirk is certainly a filmmaking achievement. It is impressively directed and acted with an unindulgent focus that is uniquely captivating. I won't likely return to it, but I appreciated the experience.
At first, I didn't feel anything keeping me focus on the movie. With no foothold and the jumps between scenes, Dunkirk is not an easy film to watch before the horrific moments of the story unfold. However, the film has a real empathy for the events. In some ways, it allows the viewer to engage in the scenes on their own.
I would have liked to have a stronger story or less jumping between scenes, but I appreciated the experience as it moved along. The climax of Dunkirk is grimy and visceral in a way that is engrossing. There is no glory here just survival which creates a far clearer picture of how war must feel at its worst.
Nolan's direction here is largely spot on. The jumps are so perfectly timed and transitioned that it can distract from how much different one situation is from the next. Moreover, the action in the film is intensely focused and gripping. Every moment is driving forward.
I do wish that Nolan had kept a firmer and steadier grip on time in the film. Each of the three stories moves at a different rate based on the perceptions of the characters in the moment which is fascinating but makes jumps each jarring, pushing away from the sense of the immersion that makes the film effective.
Ultimately, Dunkirk is about survival, and it pulls its characters through so many scenarios to come out alive. Death is ever-present, and there is a feeling that no one is safe. When anyone dies, it is just expectation. Nothing is lingered upon, making even the most present character anonymous if they fall.
While I enjoy Nolan's work more personal, Dunkirk is certainly a filmmaking achievement. It is impressively directed and acted with an unindulgent focus that is uniquely captivating. I won't likely return to it, but I appreciated the experience.