July 19, 2017 2 min to read

Dunkirk

Another home run from Nolan!

by Kleon Van

I really enjoyed this film. I liked it so much, it even cracked my Top 3 Nolan film rankings. (1. The Dark Knight and 2. Inception, if you were wondering).

This film, similar to other Nolan films, had a number of intertwining story lines. Initially, you have all the British soldiers on the beach, a father-son duo taking their private boat out to sea, and three pilots crossing the English Channel for air support.

It turns out, shit has already hit the fan as the British soldiers are awaiting a trip back across the channel. Queuing like their life depends on it, they sorta-patiently wait as it’s all they can do as the German forces press upon them at Dunkirk. With no anti-air artillery, it’s up to Tom Hardy and Co. to shoot down any sea vessel targeting enemies. Not only are the enemies shooting at the potential rescuers, they’re also bombing the beach regularly.

Pretty shit situation, right? It doesn’t get much better, however, as there are many casualties in all three storylines. This movie doesn’t downplay the deaths of the soldiers. It hits heavy, even without all the gore typically associated with war movies.

What’s interesting to me is that you never really see the enemy, only in far distance shots of enemy plans and at the very end. On a top-level view, of course, they’re antagonists, but their absence highlights who I feel are the real antagonists, the soldier’s fear and paranoia.

This is my first review, and I’m no good at writing so I’ll end it with a quick Pro/Con section and a score.

Pros: The cast was stellar. No one had way too much screen time and performances all around were believable. Great shots of the beach and surroundings The soundtrack was intense! Check out why here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVWTQcZbLgY Not totally focused on a single character, but the perspectives of the struggle and journey of many men Culmination of all three storylines was spectacular Cons: Not necessarily a con, but there wasn’t a ton of dialogue. There was enough to progress the story and give light background information but I was kinda wanting more about the people themselves. Then again, I liked that they didn’t focus on a single group too much. Other Thoughts: Tom Hardy is the man. Always great even when half of his face is covered. Another home run from Nolan! Another reason why his movies are must-watches Did you hear Michael Caine at the end? Really easy to miss his voice-over