Dunkirk is the newest film from famed writer/director Christopher Nolan. This film tells the tale of some soldiers, pilots, and civilians during the evacuation of Dunkirk during World War II. The story is told in an nonlinear manner and intertwines the paths that the many different characters take.
If you are looking for a film with well fleshed out characters with deep backstories this is definitely not the one for you. The audience is thrust right into the action and we are given little to no information about any characters, other than the situation they are in. With that in mind the film still brings out many great performances. A large part of the movie follows a young soldier played by Fionn Whitehead as he tries to get onto a ship that will take him home. At a point he meets another soldier played by Harry Styles, and the two of them follow the same path the rest of the film. Both are pleasant surprises as they perfectly embody young soldiers fighting for their survival. While many scenes feature these newcomers, the cast also features some very seasoned actors. Mark Rylance plays a civilian that goes out to Dunkirk to attempt to rescue soldiers, and as always brings a great performance to the table. One soldier he rescues is played by Cillian Murphy, who does a great job of bringing the fear of a soldier heading back to the war zone. Another notable name in the film is Tom Hardy, playing a pilot attempting to clear the skies of enemy planes. He is joined by another pilot, played by Jack Lowden and despite most of their acting being done in the small confines of a cockpit they both portray their roles very well and gain a lot of love from the audience. Lastly, Kenneth Branagh and James D'arcy play high ranking military officers trying to evacuate the beaches of Dunkirk. Neither are given a large amount of screen time but they work with what they are given and turn in top notch performances. There are too many other actors in this film to count and I would just like to shed light on how impressive the entire cast is, as there wasn't a point that I was unimpressed with the acting.
Of course, with this being a war movie there has to be war, and Nolan directs is perfectly. The intensity is there from the start and never ceases, as any moments of peace are soon interrupted by a bombing or bullet fire. The way Nolan immerses the audience through these many moments of tension and high stakes is complimented by jaw dropping cinematography. From what I know, most of the film is shot on location at Dunkirk, using ships and planes used in World War II, which gives the movie an even greater sense of realism. The score also contributes heavily to the film, as Hans Zimmer uses music to enhance the emotion of nearly every scene. The music also meshes well with the many sound effects, once again adding to the emotion and intensity of scenes.
While the films many story-lines blend together well towards the end, at some points the nonlinear structure takes away from what's happening on screen. One second you may be watching a scene with a gray sky and a calm beach, and then be thrown into a dark night with intensely wavy waters. The jumpiness of the editing makes it hard to follow the story at times, which detracts from the strong story Nolan is trying to present. I think some more time could also be spent developing either the characters or the situation. I'm not well-versed in my World War II history so I would've liked some development of what happened leading up to Dunkirk's evacuation. With the run time coming in at only one hour, forty six minutes, I think some more time could be given to that development, especially considering the typical long length of Nolan's movies.
While the story at times is hard to follow, and the audience is given little to no information about the characters, Nolan does a brilliant job of depicting the intensity of a large-scale war evacuation. He directs his incredible ensemble cast as well as he can and brings out fearful, and emotional performances out of both newcomers, and well respected actors. Few war movies hit as well as Dunkirk does and I'd say it is one of the stronger films of the year.
Rating: 4.4/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
If you are looking for a film with well fleshed out characters with deep backstories this is definitely not the one for you. The audience is thrust right into the action and we are given little to no information about any characters, other than the situation they are in. With that in mind the film still brings out many great performances. A large part of the movie follows a young soldier played by Fionn Whitehead as he tries to get onto a ship that will take him home. At a point he meets another soldier played by Harry Styles, and the two of them follow the same path the rest of the film. Both are pleasant surprises as they perfectly embody young soldiers fighting for their survival. While many scenes feature these newcomers, the cast also features some very seasoned actors. Mark Rylance plays a civilian that goes out to Dunkirk to attempt to rescue soldiers, and as always brings a great performance to the table. One soldier he rescues is played by Cillian Murphy, who does a great job of bringing the fear of a soldier heading back to the war zone. Another notable name in the film is Tom Hardy, playing a pilot attempting to clear the skies of enemy planes. He is joined by another pilot, played by Jack Lowden and despite most of their acting being done in the small confines of a cockpit they both portray their roles very well and gain a lot of love from the audience. Lastly, Kenneth Branagh and James D'arcy play high ranking military officers trying to evacuate the beaches of Dunkirk. Neither are given a large amount of screen time but they work with what they are given and turn in top notch performances. There are too many other actors in this film to count and I would just like to shed light on how impressive the entire cast is, as there wasn't a point that I was unimpressed with the acting.
Of course, with this being a war movie there has to be war, and Nolan directs is perfectly. The intensity is there from the start and never ceases, as any moments of peace are soon interrupted by a bombing or bullet fire. The way Nolan immerses the audience through these many moments of tension and high stakes is complimented by jaw dropping cinematography. From what I know, most of the film is shot on location at Dunkirk, using ships and planes used in World War II, which gives the movie an even greater sense of realism. The score also contributes heavily to the film, as Hans Zimmer uses music to enhance the emotion of nearly every scene. The music also meshes well with the many sound effects, once again adding to the emotion and intensity of scenes.
While the films many story-lines blend together well towards the end, at some points the nonlinear structure takes away from what's happening on screen. One second you may be watching a scene with a gray sky and a calm beach, and then be thrown into a dark night with intensely wavy waters. The jumpiness of the editing makes it hard to follow the story at times, which detracts from the strong story Nolan is trying to present. I think some more time could also be spent developing either the characters or the situation. I'm not well-versed in my World War II history so I would've liked some development of what happened leading up to Dunkirk's evacuation. With the run time coming in at only one hour, forty six minutes, I think some more time could be given to that development, especially considering the typical long length of Nolan's movies.
While the story at times is hard to follow, and the audience is given little to no information about the characters, Nolan does a brilliant job of depicting the intensity of a large-scale war evacuation. He directs his incredible ensemble cast as well as he can and brings out fearful, and emotional performances out of both newcomers, and well respected actors. Few war movies hit as well as Dunkirk does and I'd say it is one of the stronger films of the year.
Rating: 4.4/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
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