Dunkirk (2017) Review

"Seeing home doesn't help us get there, Captain" - Commander Bolton.

Christopher Nolan appears to be a man who can do no wrong when it comes to groundbreaking ideas and spectacle. Following on from an impressive run of The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014), Nolan now turns his talents to telling a true story, but with all the expected elements that make his films so intriguing and intense. For his latest venture, Nolan presents the events of the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War Two, and chooses to tell the story through a non-linear structure. Combining the formal components of sound, cinematography and music to create non-stop tension, Nolan has created perhaps his finest work to date, and a film that will resonate with many a viewer.

The non-linear structure allows the film to present the horrific events of Dunkirk from three perspectives and periods of time: on land, on sea and in the air. On land, we meet young Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) as he arrives on the beach ahead of the evacuation. By sea, we are introduced to Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance), his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and George (Barry Keoghan) as they set sail from England to aid in the evacuation. Finally, we are introduced to RAF pilot Farriers (Tom Hardy) and Collins (Jack Lowden) as they make their way over the English Channel in their Spitfire planes. As Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) leads the evacuation from the sea, the three stories gradually collide with one-another, with each one equally powerful in presenting the struggles of the desperate and seemingly hopeless situation.

Usually a story like this puts heavy emphasis on performance to portray the horrors these brave men encountered, but I really admire Nolan's choice to prioritise cinematography alongside the performances. The camera work in Dunkirk is stunning, with every scene feeling big and always looking busy. There's always something happening in both the foreground and background, which I think helps to show the chaotic nature of the evacuation. I also really loved the point-of-view shots from the planes, stretchers and boats as they gave the film an immersive quality without ever over-staying their welcome. There are also incredible sweeping shots of the beach, which perfectly establish the size and scale of the location. The "handheld" camera style on the small boat captained by Mr. Dawson was also a smart choice, creating a more claustrophobic and uneasy feel.

Sound plays such an important part in the film, and not in the way most people would think. As it's a war film, the expectation would be for the film to be loud throughout, but Dunkirk cleverly balances this in a similar fashion to one of Nolan's previous works. In the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises, there is a fight sequence where the absence of music and emphasis on sound allows the viewer to almost feel every punch thrown. For Dunkirk, Nolan applies the same technique, with some sequences only featuring sound to create a more frightening and shocking experience. Hans Zimmer's clever musical score complements this perfectly in other scenes. The introduction of the beach is accompanied by Zimmer's slow tempo instrumentation, which amplifies the foreboding atmosphere. Never is the score too bombastic, instead focusing on a constant goal of enhancing the mood of the increasingly desperate evacuation. It's the perfect mix of the two components that makes Dunkirk such an incredible journey, and one best experienced on the big screen.

I'm usually not a fan of not knowing the names of the characters, but I felt the lack of named characters plays to the film's strengths. When Tommy boards a ship filled with his fellow soldiers, you can put yourself in his shoes. He doesn't learn all the names of the people he ends up travelling with (and therefore the audience don't either), which I imagine was the same for the soldiers who where really there. You wouldn't know exactly who these people where, only that they are fighting to survive, and your best chance to do so is to work together. Even for a main part such as Cillian Murphy's, he is simply credited as "Shivering Soldier", and I can't even recall Tommy's name being mentioned by another character. But the excellent performances (including One Direction's Harry Styles) make you care for every single one of them, which makes it all the more heartbreaking knowing not all of them are going to survive. 

The non-linear structure can be a little jarring at first. Even though you are informed of the different times at the start, it took me a while to adjust to where exactly each story fit. Eventually, though, it all became much clearer, and the merging of the three times towards the end was handled expertly. It was a more than worthy climax to all the build up, especially seeing Tom Hardy's Farriers heroically come to the rescue. Seeing where all these characters end up after all that we'd seen them go through was also well portrayed, with the key theme of survival realised in several different ways. Whether it be the literal survival of some of the soldiers or the efforts of individuals recognised in the local newspaper, all the characters we meet are tied to this theme by the end.

With Dunkirk, Nolan continues his legacy of being one of modern cinema's greatest auteurs. Heart-stopping intensity from the beginning, aided by an incredible musical score, make this film possibly his finest achievement yet. All the right elements are there, from performances, pacing and use of formal components, and they're all strung together masterfully to create an emotional and thought-provoking ride. Whether you see it at the cinema or wait for it to be released on home media, everybody should experience what I consider to be the best film of 2017 so far.