Dunkirk ? The masterstroke of the summer? Everyone seemed moved by Nolan’s new film and I was more than intrigued to discover it. So I went to watch it on the first day of its release. I have to say, I was thrilled but not 100% convinced. I was bored for 15-20 minutes because the storyline felt redundant. The plane flies and fights while the soldiers try to get on whichever boat to survive but end up drowning…
I enjoyed the beginning and was really into it. The images were just aw-inspiring. But I got bored when the characters got stuck on the island for the third time and when I felt like watching a remake of the Titanic’s drowning scene.
However, when I said that to people who’ve watched it, I was not well received. That’s why, two weeks later, I decided to go watch it again. My mind was expecting to be bored at some point and I wanted to define where exactly that happened on the first screening. So I waited, and actually it felt that this time, it went way more quickly than it did the first time. And I have to say, I would watch it a third time. I guess I was just in a bad mood and wanted to nitpick instead of embracing the treasure.
In my opinion, the most impressive feature of this film is its editing. It is made to put you in the soldier’s shoes. According to Nolan, Dunkirk is not a ‘war film’ but ‘a catastrophe film’. It means that you don’t have the story told with both sides but you feel the pain of one side. The spectator follows the characters towards the unknown without knowing where the danger could be. In Dunkirk, you feel the battle, you’re not just a viewer. In order to create that suspense and tension, Nolan uses different skills. First, we recognise Hitchcock’s tool which uses sound to create suspense. The planes coming unexpectedly towards the soldiers reminds us of the birds in Hitchcock’s film. We never see the enemy during the movie. The Germans are only represented by planes and bombs. In this sense, we are in the British soldier’s shoes. We are only guided by what we see and hear. Moreover, Hans Zimmer’s music is giving a particular pace which generates insecurity. Nolan also uses the sound as a feature. Indeed, silent is a major instrument in this film. Surprisingly, the lack of dialogue is precious to the film. It establishes empathy without having any personal background about the characters or any historical one. In this sense, the characters are like our war comrade. It shows the absence of information they had about each other and highlights their patriotic solidarity.
Another important feature is the camerawork. Nolan uses a handheld camera that highlights the rage of the war. Moreover, the aerial shot not only emphasises our feeling of being part of the war but also shows the smallness of the soldiers’ existence who were ready to throw themselves in danger for their country. The aerial shot of the beach is impressive. The soldiers in lane looks like ants and one more time, Nolan just like in Interstellar for instance, reminds us that the human is meaningless in front of the imposing universe. In this sense, the humans can do a lot for their world (the soldier fighting for their country) but Nolan recalls us that their action is nothing compare to the extent of the space around the earth.
What could be seen as disturbing? Maybe that the most famous actors such as Tom Hardy or Cilian Murphy are not on the front stage. Instead, we discover some new brilliant ones such as Fionn Whitehead (Tommy), Aneurin Barnard (Gibson), Barry Keoghan (George), Tom Glyn-Carney (Peter) and… Harry Styles. The One Direction singer, in my opinion, has proved that he could be an actor. His role consists of emphasising the tension and danger of dying not only because of their enemies but also within their own troops. Everyone had to be seen as a threat. And Mr Styles plays very well with his facial expressions and his few lines to share this feeling with the viewer.
But what disturbed me the most is that this battle of Dunkirk was unknown to me until now. How come as a French native and English citizen was I not aware of this ? My researches brought me to the fact that English students are actually mindful of it and the English nation proud of this historical event. However, the French population seems to have a wish of forgetting it since they lost a lot of men. The English, like the film is showing, put their men first, leaving the French soldiers to their own destiny to survive. In that sense, English people are proud of their army during that battle which shows a united nation. However, the French were misled and waited days in this purgatory until they could find freedom. That is why I would like to talk about the end (I’ll try not to spoil too much). The general says he will stay to help the French soldier. But it seems like he is the only one staying. And how could one man be helpful to help evacuate so many men? It seems to me that this part of the film is trying to save the question that everyone was asking during the film: ‘what about the French soldiers?’. Anyway, we can’t rewrite history so I won’t debate too much on this issue because Nolan has no reason to be blamed for this. But what I’m saying is that the battle is seen as a victory at the end which testifies from Nolan’s English roots and that not every country feels the same about this fight.
In a nutshell, Nolan made a masterpiece of this criminal military fight. He did it with his definable skills of camerawork that puts us in the soldier’s position instead of just being informed of the history. Hans Zimmer, is the icing on the cake and polishes the detailed work of the director. So, I have to say, what I learnt from this film is: a wise man changes his mind sometimes, a fool never. This film has to be seen and re watched to really catch the fear that these men felt from the 26th of May to the 4th June 1940. It opens the viewer’s eyes on history and most of all, on the soldier’s sensitivity.
Hi!
A very interesting analysis for a no more less captivating film. I was amazed by the atmosphere of this film without any lengths in my opinion. Dunkirk is played by famous and very good actors (Tom Hardy, Cilian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance…) and also novice Tom Glynn Carney, Aneunerin Barnard, Harry Styles (I agree with what etc. Fionn Whitehead is extraordinary and just very good for a beginner – he actually started last year only! – and I agree with the part you wrote concerning Harry Styles ;). I think that the pictures, the landscapes, the score are really great and also contribute to the permanent tension, especially during the air battles and on the boats.
So, to be seen twice (at least)!
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