Dunkirk Review

Certificate: 12A

Running time: 106 minutes 

Directed by: Christopher Nolan.

What's it about: Set during the evacuation of Dunkirk. This film follows soldiers as they desperately try to find a way home, and is told from three perspectives - the land, air and sea.

The verdict: Christopher Nolan is well known for his epic visuals, and non-linear storytelling style. Consequently, he is one of the highest-grossing directors in history. Despite this, when Christopher Nolan announced his intention to make a film about the evacuation of Dunkirk, many imagined that it would just be a rehash of Saving Private Ryan. However, this is not a case at all.

This review is slightly harder to write because I am simultaneously in complete awe of this film, and also slightly dissatisfied with it. Firstly the cast are all very good, with relative newcomer Fionn Whitehead and Academy Award winner Mark Rylance particularly standing out. The cast is full of great actors, such as Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy. I liked how the film wasn't built around the big name actors though. The most important name associated with the film, is Nolan himself. Whilst we are on the subject of the cast, I will address the elephant in the room. Yes, pop star Harry Styles is in this film. A lot of people thought this reeked of stunt casting, which Nolan has always denied. And actually Harry Styles puts in a good performance, and in no way are his scenes jarring or awkward.

The standout of this film, and the most epic part of it, is the amazing score. The score is absolutely incredible, and is used to maximum effect. I don't think I have ever watched a film where the score dwarfs all other parts of the film. It is not even because it is appealing to listen to, but it is the way it makes you feel and the impact it has. It has the effect of placing you within the film, and making it an immersive experience. At certain points, the score feels like it is echoing the racing hearts of the soldiers, which in turn makes your own heart race. There is also the effect of a clock ticking, which builds and builds, and this effect creates so much tension.  And there is no let up from the score, it is constant and exhausting, but it draws you in and makes sure you are paying attention. The film has minimal dialogue, so the score is used in place of where you may have expected there to be extensive dialogue. I really liked this technique, it felt original and differentiated Dunkirk from other war films.

As you can expect from a Christopher Nolan film, the visuals were very strong. There are a couple of shots that I can imagine becoming iconic, and perhaps emulated in future films by other directors. The cinematography is also excellent, as is the colour palette which is built around greys and browns.

Basically, Dunkirk is a five star film in all of its technical aspects. I don't think you can fault the cinematography, sound or editing. Where I feel slightly dissatisfied to down to one main feature - the timeline.

I felt that the timeline was slightly jarring, and at one point I had to actively think about at what part of the timeline we were in. This distracted me from the action on screen, and also felt slightly strange and unnecessary. This may not seem like a massively important point, but Dunkirk is so immersive, that any distraction from the film feels physical. As though, you have been yanked back into reality, and that yank is almost painful.

There have been complaints from some critics on the historical accuracy of the film. But as I did not feel that way whilst I was watching the film, I think it would be unfair to say that. Also, a lot of critics have lamented the lack of character development in the film. Whilst this is true to an extent, Dunkirk is a unique film in that it is more of a voyeuristic experience than necessarily an emotional one. You are watching a fight to survive, rather than a triumph or hero story. Personally I liked this aspect of the film, simply because it felt so original and different from other films of this genre. I liked how you did not even know some of the character's names until the credits, it kind of reflects the mass facelessness of war.

Overall, I do feel Dunkirk is worthy of the praise it has been receiving. It has chosen to go at the war genre from a different angle, concentrating on technical mastery rather than character depth. However, it is a deeply engaging experience and I will admit to having goosebumps at some points. It may prove to be a divisive film, but it stayed with me after I watched it.

Should you watch this film? Yes, absolutely. Whether you end up loving it, or hating it, Dunkirk needs to be experienced on the big screen. Ideally the bigger, the better.