Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan)

[Melville]

Beautiful, tense, and spare. I've been interested in how Nolan's last few movies have had extended action sequences fill out their entire final acts, and here he takes that even further: the whole thing is basically one sustained note. As in his other recent movies, a lot of the tension is maintained with the encompassing, propulsive sound design and score, but here he fits in more striking, emotive imagery, particularly the foam and wind of the desolate beach. And the movie definitely benefits from having trimmed down dialogue, avoiding Nolan's typical weakness; it gives the whole thing a touch of stereotypical British stoicism.

I disagree with those who think it doesn't evoke enough desperation. I thought it did that very effectively, in a nicely restrained way. It let the scenes and characters' actions bring emotion into the story naturally. And the arrival of the flotilla was rousing as hell. Though I do agree with Trans' criticism that the beach segments seemed like a day and a half instead of a week.

Nolan ranked:

1. Dunkirk
2. Interstellar
3. The Dark Knight Rises
4. Inception
5. Insomnia
6. The Dark Knight
7. The Prestige
8. Memento
9. Following
10. Batman Begins

I wouldn't call any of them favorites, but the bottom two are the only ones I dislike. Though I don't remember Insomnia, The Prestige, or Following very well.

[Morris Schæffer]

Another thing is that it feels like a trimmed down recreation of the real thing. 700 pleasure boats went out but this scope is never conveyed nor of the 400000 troops stuck on the beach. Although the movie feels authentic enough. I really want to see it again.

But it's not an unbearably tense movie as a lot of critics seem to be saying.

[TGM]

But it's not an unbearably tense movie as a lot of critics seem to be saying.

Agreed, really didn't find it all that tense at all really. 47 Meters Down is still by far the most tense experience I've had at the movies this uear.

[Morris Schæffer]

Agreed, really didn't find it all that tense at all really. 47 Meters Down is still by far the most tense experience I've had at the movies this uear.

It feels a tad manufactured as if shock and awe can somehow make something more suspenseful. I understand Trans a bit more now when he said Zimmer's score is incessant. There are many stunning shots that would have benefited from relative quietness.

[Stay Puft]

I'm with Weems. I couldn't stand this. I was bored out of my mind the whole time.

[Ivan Drago]

Nolan ranked:

1. Memento
2. The Dark Knight
3. The Prestige
4. Batman Begins
5. Dunkirk
6. Inception
7. Insomnia
8. The Dark Knight Rises
9. Interstellar
10. Following

[Morris Schæffer]

Another thing which surprised me a little bit is the vague sloppyness of the production. When the soldier is helping the other soldier bury someone at the beginning, the roofs of unmistakably modern buildings can be glimpsed in the distance. Furthermore, Dunkirk was shot to hell when the evacuation began, but the opening scenes show a postcard pretty town.

[transmogrifier]

The score annoyed me because it provides artificial tension in place of actually taking the time to show what was happening on the perimeter and give an idea of what was bearing down on them. The film makes a calculated decision to turn to Hollywood artifice to generate the story momentum, leaving a lot of the interesting stuff behind.

[Lazlo]

Loved every bit of this both times I saw it. The sustained tension is incredible and the filmmaking, from the structure to the acting to the camera work, is just brilliant. I also can't think of better dogfight/flying footage in any other movie.

Nolan:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Interstellar
3. Dunkirk
4. The Prestige
5. Inception
6. Memento
7. Batman Begins
8. The Dark Knight Rises
9. Insomnia
10. Following

[Spinal]

I was almost entirely unmoved by this. I can admire its basic proficiency and its technical accomplishments, but I did not care a lick. No notable characters. Nothing new to say.

Least favorite Nolan since Batman Begins.

[Grouchy]

I think it takes a special kind of skill to make a film with this premise this boring.

Regardless, I had no problems with the sound mixing. It's a technically accomplished film. It's just dramatically very inert except for the Mark Rylance storyline.

[Pop Trash]

I kept thinking about how Nolan named Robert Bresson as an influence, which seems strange for a big budget war movie, but I kinda get with the dramatic inertness people are mentioning. Bresson is also like that for me.

[[ETM]]

Caught this on IMAX today in Berlin. Such a wonderful, tense experience. My gut was in a knot the whole time. It could have done without the soundtrack, and I agree with some of the criticisms, but it's still mesmerizing on that huge screen with that sound. The theater was almost empty so my girlfriend sat a bit away, to where she thought she had a better view, but halfway through she came back to sit next to me because she couldn't stand the tension alone.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The score annoyed me because it provides artificial tension in place of actually taking the time to show what was happening on the perimeter and give an idea of what was bearing down on them. The film makes a calculated decision to turn to Hollywood artifice to generate the story momentum, leaving a lot of the interesting stuff behind.

I'd agree with this (also, I have my issues with Zimmer as a composer and how transparently he turns the knobs to game audiences).

Having said that, I found this an effective exercise in suspense, and it definitely solidifies that Nolan traded up when he moved from Pfister to Hoytema. This is maybe the best-shot film of Nolan's career, largely because so many of the images here rely on a sense of depth in the frame and sometimes even play between elements in the foreground and background. I almost wonder, though, if the better ending would've been to close on an image of Tom Hardy's plane slowly sinking toward the ground as a metaphor for life and death. With the whole theme of the film being about the idea of survival being enough in such a threatening circumstance (and therefore surviving in such a crazy world as ours is its own quiet brand of heroism, best exemplified by Rylance in-film), I found the final images of Hardy's plane approaching the ground to be graceful and poetic, by Nolan's standards. Ending it on one of his patented montages dampens that, although I liked that the film's final image was the curious face of the soldier, who might not be 100% convinced of the larger-than-life words he was just reading. That was a clever little touch.

[MVP is obviously Rylance, though, obviously.]

As for the framing device, I think it would've worked better if the film would've slowly led up to that sinking of the boat at the end and only shown it once, but at that point we were seeing it from all available angles. I don't think there's a way to make that work in the context of these specific stories, but I agree that seeing it a few times was more frustrating than revelatory. But I guess if you're Nolan, you gotta chase those narrative jumbles no matter what.

[Watashi]

Nolan finally forgoes his ongoing tropes (heavy exposition, twisty narrative, dead wives, overlong) and yet you people still complain.

I thought this was pretty terrific. I can see how someone would find themselves detached though. It's a rare anti-narrative war film where we never see the enemy or cling on to one specific soldier. It's rather bloodless, focusing on the spectacle rather than the horrors of war.

It's more of a thrill ride than a journey, and I like the audacity of Nolan's approach to creating a discombobulated feel of experiencing the suffocation of survival.

It's not really a performance-based film and there's no "Oscar" clip scene. I'm bummed I missed this on 70mm.

[Mal]

This movie briefly reminded me of Come and See. But Christopher Nolan could never make Come and See. He is too mechanical of a filmmaker to pull of anything beyond what he's doing here. And it really sucks because once upon a time I really liked Memento as a small town video store clerk and recommended it to anyone who knew who Carrie-Anne Moss was. This movie has it functions and it executes them perfectly, but so what? It's fine. :|

[Skitch]

I agree with Wats. I liked this.

[Irish]

I ... I also agree with Wats.

Biggest mistake of my movie-going year was skipping this on the big screen. I will never doubt Nolan again.

[[ETM]]

Biggest mistake of my movie-going year was skipping this on the big screen.

Only the second IMAX viewing for me ever, and such a good call it was, indeed...

Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk

[Dukefrukem]

Not the best war movie and not the worst. Good not great. TENSE! Nolan did an excellent job making something the audience feel something by showing so little. The opening sequence of the men getting shot at in the street is an excellent example. The use of sound does plenty to paint a picture throughout, especially on the beach. Didn't see this on the big screen, but I wish I did.

The score is persistent, almost as if I'm watching a horror movie. It's constantly suggesting dread at any moment.

One of the weakest (or strongest) aspects of Dunkirk is the lack of story/structure. Yes we know about the historical significance of Dunkirk, but the film is jumping constantly between characters and viewpoints that does not allow the audience to cling to any specific event or hope. But maybe that's the point.

https://letterboxd.com/dukefrukem/li...s-best/detail/
1. Inception ★★★★★
2. The Dark Knight ★★★★★
3. Interstellar ★★★★★
4. The Prestige ★★★★★
5. Memento ★★★★½
6. Dunkirk ★★★★½
7. Batman Begins ★★★½
8. Insomnia ★★★½
9. The Dark Knight Rises ★★★½

[Thirdmango]

I hated this. The score absolutely killed me, it felt like the entire first season of 24. Just a constant dread sound and I'm really not into dread-porn as so many seem to be.

[Thirdmango]

Nolan finally forgoes his ongoing tropes (heavy exposition, twisty narrative, dead wives, overlong) and yet you people still complain.

It's more of a thrill ride than a journey, and I like the audacity of Nolan's approach to creating a discombobulated feel of experiencing the suffocation of survival.

Your first paragraph absolutely kills me. First off his ongoing trope of using music that goes BWAAA is not gone. And then an indignant "How dare you complain," is such a strange comment.

As for the other paragraph I will never understand how the feeling of suffocation is so enjoyable to people. How about a brilliant movie where you don't feel like you're going to die? That sounds like a much better movie.

[Thirdmango]

Nolan films ranked:

Memento: 4.5
Inception: 4.5
The Dark Knight Rises: 4
Batman Begins: 4
The Prestige: 3.5
The Dark Knight: 3
Dunkirk: 2.5

[Watashi]

Your first paragraph absolutely kills me. First off his ongoing trope of using music that goes BWAAA is not gone. And then an indignant "How dare you complain," is such a strange comment.

As for the other paragraph I will never understand how the feeling of suffocation is so enjoyable to people. How about a brilliant movie where you don't feel like you're going to die? That sounds like a much better movie.

Zimmer's score is much more subdued than his previous Nolan collaborations.

If you're not into impending dread, then you should probably not watch any war movies. There's dread. People are fearful about dying. Seems like a silly complaint for a film like this.

[Pop Trash]

If you're not into impending dread, then you should probably not watch any war movies. There's dread. People are fearful about dying. Seems like a silly complaint for a film like this.

Saving Private Ryan had guys getting shot in the head and limbs blown off so that really triggered me.