DUNKIRK – Review

Sometimes when you have been through hell and back, there isn’t anything you can say to properly convey the emotions and the experience. Without saying much, Christopher Nolan tries to express the raw emotions of war by dropping the viewer into the scenario as opposed to explaining the how and the why of the situation. Because at the end of the day, the brave soldiers at the frontlines aren’t given a suitable reason or explanation to justify possible death. Their instincts kick in and they have to fight to survive.

DUNKIRK is an emotional experiment forcing the viewer to connect with characters with little backstory or dialogue. In fact, the majority of the film is soldiers silently fighting towards a way out. The importance of time is crucial – so much so that the film opens with information placing how long each of the storylines takes place. Nolan and editor Lee Smith (who has worked with the writer/director since BATMAN BEGINS) then intercuts these stories, placing the intensity of a British Spitfire pilot (Tom Hardy) with that of the men he’s trying to protect on the ground who are looking to find a safe ship to get off the beach (newcomer Fionn Whitehead and singer Harry Styles – a decision that shows how no one was immune to the war’s call). All the while, the demand for more ships to rescue 400,000 men makes its way back home. British civilian boats set off to rescue the boys, one of which is led by Oscar nominee Mark Rylance. These three stories make up the by air, land, and sea trifecta.

Nolan is a filmmaker that doesn’t exude style necessarily. He’s not an auteur in the modern sense. He’s a traditionalist who embraces the mechanics of filmmaking with dedicated technical prowess. His use of the IMAX and 70mm format has been revolutionary in combating film piracy, while also delivering on a promise to fans of cinema. He wants you to see his film on the biggest screen possible and backs up his demand with sights that haven’t previously been seen in any other war film.

He’s always been a filmmaker obsessed with spectacle. From a hallway where the laws of gravity don’t exist in INCEPTION; to an 18-wheeler doing a somersault in the middle of the road in THE DARK KNIGHT; to the Batmobile jumping between rooftops in BATMAN BEGINS. Oftentimes, many think of Nolan as leaning heavily on the darker, dramatic side. However, I think of him more as a showman. With each film, he pushes himself to become the greatest showmen on earth. DUNKIRK solidifies this yet again with aerial dogfights unlike any we’ve seen in cinema before. The way the camera captures these planes in motion is breathtaking. The scope, simply put, is unparalleled. The 400,000 soldiers look like ants on this wide open beach while highlighting the magnitude of this impossible feat. To say that DUNKIRK is a technical marvel is an understatement.

The camerawork is punctuated with a sound design and score that lends a pulse to every frame. Hans Zimmer injects a ticking clock motif into the music, ratcheting the tension of each of the three stories and making the 106-minute runtime fly by.

Aside from all the film magic at work, Nolan strives to make it about the people and what they had to endure. As was previously mentioned, he attempts to do this with very little dialogue – apparently the script is only 75 pages. Newcomer Fionn Whitehead delivers on the challenge. It’s not easy to stand out from the herd of almost entirely dark, shaggy-haired boys, but Whitehead shines with a slight twinkle in his emotive eyes. You don’t entirely see the desperation in his eyes, but you see his determination that the physical role demands. Surprisingly, Harry Styles more than holds his own. However, if I wasn’t familiar with his recent pop hits (thanks in large part to SNL), I’m not sure he would stand out among the seemingly identical group of British soldiers that all breathe life into their roles.

Ironically, these identical soldiers are also facing a threat without distinction. These young Brits face off against a faceless enemy. You see, Nolan doesn’t ever show us the “evil Germans” we often see in films of this like. The fear of the enemy is always felt, but their faces are never shown. Large youthful eyes illuminate the desperation and danger they face – not the camera.

Placing an unknown, outside pressure as the enemy adds a level of ambiguity that ultimately makes the film feel less like a WWII and more like a film outside the specific 1940 timeline. This, of course, is interesting since the film is clearly obsessed with the idea of time. Between this and the lack of backstory surrounding the event and the characters, DUNKIRK comes across as an interesting experiment (especially given the summer movie marketing). While some might be hoping for more from the story, perhaps Nolan is actually saying much more amid the cacophony of racing hearts, plane engines, bullet-riddled metal, and silent soldiers looking for hope as the waves and bombs crash against the beach.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

DUNKIRK opens everywhere July 21^st