Since his breakthrough in 2000 with Memento, Nolan has quickly been billed as the best director of the 21st century.
Five years later saw the British director become a mainstream hit with the beginning of The Dark Knight trilogy with Batman Begins.
After that, it has been hit after hit. Now, he is going into new territory with something based on a true event.
The story of the Dunkirk evacuation has been one that I am glad is getting re-made. I remember seeing the 1958 version a few years ago and enjoying it. But I think it is a good time to tell the story with modern filming technology.
As usual, I avoided any trailers. Nolan films for me, are something to treasure and first see on the big screen as he is big believer in cinema and the future of it in the form of IMAX, rather than 3D.
The opening sets you up nicely for how Nolan is going to execute his portrayal. Then the rest of the film just builds and builds ever so slowly to quite an emotional and uplifting finale.
The whole experience was very impactful and visceral. You can feel the brutality the men faced at that time and what lengths people would go to just get back home.
By the end of it, you just feel so proud to be British and have ancestors that did so much for our freedom.
Not only is a great War film, but it is a great survival tale. Every section of the story makes you feel you are actually there, experiencing it and right in the thick of it. It never lets you give time to breathe.
From the fantastic sound of the piercing and screechiness of the German Stuka's to the glorious cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema, this is something you need really experience on the biggest screen with the best sound system.
Like with many Nolan films, Hans Zimmer returns as the composer. This is another wonderful score that should be up there with some of Zimmer's most iconic pieces. The use of a ticking watch is quite a common theme throughout, and eventually becomes an integral part of the story. But his romping orchestral pieces that he is well known for are still there and in all the big set-pieces.
There isn't much dialogue, so I can't really comment about the script. This film is purely about the event. So therefore, the action is front and centre.
There was no real lead for his film, it was more about the story. However, it is quite an ensemble cast, and they all did a great job.
If I had to pick one for the lead, it would be unknown youngster Fionn Whitehead. The young English actor did a great job and had a great look of your stereotypical British soldier from that era.
As for the big names in this feature, they all did a great job. Despite not dominating the screen, Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, James D'Arcy and Jack Lowden were all very captivating.
Even Harry Styles surprised me. If you did not know who he was, he just felt like he had been acting for quite a while. I hope he can get more roles from this, and see what else he can do, or if this performance was thanks to the direction he was given.
I must mention how much I really liked how they showed the enemy. The way they delivered their presence really added to the tension, and it has been proven in many other films using a similar formula.
As much as I would consider myself a Nolan fanboy, I would not quite rank it up there with Inception, The Dark Knight or The Prestige. But it is not far off. The main reasons for that is I did not feel the scale of this event. When you hear about the amount of people that were on those beaches and ended up being rescued, the film just did not quite reflect that in my opinion.
While I liked the route Nolan and his team took, it did not quite feel that pivotal of a moment during World War II except during the final act.
Also, I think the lack of characterisation effected my level of investment. Having more connection with the characters might have elevated my original rating.
Thankfully, it is only a few minor gripes. It is a great viewing experience and another welcomed addition to Nolan's high-quality back catalogue. It is one of those War films that make you realize why our grandparents and great grandparents never really spoke of those times to us.
As with any Nolan feature, it is masterly crafted. Nolan has always been interested with the concept of time. He always seems to use non-linear structure and such interesting ways. From the ground-breaking work of Memento, to the unbelievably cleverness of Inception. I was interested to see how he would incorporate that into Dunkirk. While at times it might look unnecessary, it also reminds you that you are watching a Nolan feature.
I also like that he always respects the audience intelligence. Unlike some blockbuster directors that spoon-feed a lot of the plot to us, Nolan makes you think and the reward is watching a cinematic treat. This is another one.
I was really cautious about the short duration of 1hr 46mins, because Nolan is usually associated with film that are around 2hrs 30mins. But I think keeping under 2hrs was a great idea. For what Nolan was going for, I think it got out at the right time.
I hope this gets us talking and finding out more about this event, as I don't recall getting taught about in History class. We mainly concentrated on the Holocaust and the Battle Of Britain. So I hope this film changes the curriculum to some degree.
There are so many aspects to this film that deserve recognition in the major awards, and I can see it winning a fair few, especially in the cinematography, sound design and score. Bring on the next venture Nolan picks.
Rating: 8/10
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