Visionary director Christopher Nolan has consistently produced some of the most complex, mindblowing films of this generation; with original stories and layered characters. When it was announced his next venture was to be the World War 2 thriller Dunkirk, it turned a lot of heads in the film world. How could a man who’s films are usually so original cover war? Something we’ve seen countless times on screen? Thankfully, the genius director managed to produce a film that transcended its genre and could perhaps be his best work yet. The hype around Dunkirk is absolutely warranted, and once again Nolan has produced one of, if not the best film of the year, and here’s why:
A gripping take on an epic event
There was not a single second of the film where my eyes weren’t glued to the screen. With an intense, straight in at the deep end start, the thrills continued throughout. Accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s glorious soundtrack, of which the track “Supermarine” was the highlight, that really set the tone perfectly without faltering in every scene. Dunkirk is not a war film, it is a thrilling, race against time suspense film, that the viewer simply cannot take their eyes off.
The ticking clocks throughout (Zimmer used Nolan’s pocketwatch for these sounds) capture the race against time for the 400,000 British soldiers trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk with the German enemies surrounding them, desperate for any remnant of hope that they could return home. Switching perspectives from the beaches, to the sea and to the air, Nolan managed to intertwine stories and characters that were so similar yet so disparate, by creating a thrilling, tense race for survival.
The action was captured perfectly, from the dogfights in the air to the scrambling troops on sea and land in the face of German bombers. Obviously the practical effects and use of over a thousand extras enforced the realism that this film would capture, and the way cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema managed to beautifully portray this completely immersed and convinced the viewer as to just how real this extraordinary event really was.
In Dunkirk, Nolan absolutely demonstrates exactly what this event would be like, the action and suspense does not feel like a cheap remake, but an epic tale of true courage in the face of disaster.
A human story told with real feeling
Nolan is well known for having impressive casts in this film, who usually deliver his smart scripts immaculately. This time around however, the film doesn’t rely upon witty dialogue or a mindblowing story, but the faces of each individual present in the story. With a heavyweight cast that includes Oscar nominees Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh, Oscar winner Mark Rylance, everyone’s favourite Peaky Blinder Cilian Murphy and former One Direction member Harry Styles making his acting debut, many could have thought casting these stars would takeaway from the realism of the film.
Styles amongst other young, first time actors such as Fionn Whitehead and Welsh newcomer Aneurin Barnard feel inexperienced, and that isn’t a bad thing at all, it actually makes them feel more like the fearful young soldiers sent to war, and Barnard and Whitehead display a lot of emotion with very limited dialogue, whereas Styles thrives on his large amount of dialogue, a testament to their respective casting. Hardy once again plays a man in a mask, in the form of spitfire pilot Farrier, and despite his limited dialogue (less than 10 lines!), his eyes portray every emotion possible, and it resounded through the audience and reflected a brilliantly understated performance. Like Hardy, Murphy expresses his performance through his facial expressions, playing a shell shocked soldier desperate for home, and his performance more than most captures truly how these brave men would have felt after seeing unspeakable horror.
Branagh as usual gives a classy, emotive turn as a British Navy commander longing for home, but the real highlight had to be Mark Rylance. The Oscar winner brought charm and humour to a very bleak film, and his character; a civilian sailor and father off to rescue the troops, is one of the more inspiring aspects of the film, and properly reflects the bravery of all those involved in the event. Other highlighted performances include Jack Lowden as Collins, another RAF pilot who again uses mostly his eyes to tell his story, alongside Barry Keoghan and Tom Glynn-Carney, playing brave civilian sailors George and Peter respectively.
Dunkirk is an obviously hard-hitting film, and Nolan makes this very clear from the start. Reflecting this is clearly how he and the actors involved, despite their limited dialogue, created an emotive and truly realistic film mostly through the use of facial expressions, and coupled with the powerful Zimmer score, this awe-inspiring story of loss and bravery was brought to life properly.
The Verdict
Unsurprisingly, Christopher Nolan has once again delivered a masterpiece. Dunkirk is everything a film about war should be, not just the classic genre adhering, repetitive films focused solely on combat; but an emotive, human, thrilling and suspenseful race against time that transcends its genre and portrays one of Britain’s worst military disasters exactly how it should have been. The action is captured realistically using over a thousand extras, real ships and planes and practical effects coupled with deep, harrowing performances from the exceptional cast and an unforgettable Hans Zimmer score that haunts the viewer to the very core. Dunkirk is filmmaking at its absolute best and should undoubtedly leave you with goosebumps, with its only fault being its short 1 hour 46 minute runtime, a testament to Nolan’s talent that he leaves the viewer wanting even more afterwards. A masterpiece and classic for years to come.
Rating: 10/10
Words by Elliott Jones