Dunkirk
In his latest masterpiece, Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan writes and directs his first historical film (and I, for one, hope it won't be his last).
Dunkirk takes us through the "battle" bearing its name. As the tagline says, "When 400,000 men couldn't get home, home came for them." In its curious structure, the film places you on land, sea, or in the air, telling three connected stories about rescuing Allied soldiers trapped by the German army at Dunkirk, France.
I don't know what I expected going in. I'm not in love with war movies. To be quite frank, I probably wouldn't have gone if I hadn't heard Christopher Nolan's name. I tend to be on the side of a wise individual I know who, when arguing their case about why not to watch a film on the Civil War, used, "We already know how it ends."
And they weren't wrong. Not only do we already know the history behind whichever war is being documented (provided we have paid attention in school), but war movie styles are also kind of similar. Gunfire is crazy loud and everywhere. People are constantly yelling at each other, arguing about the best strategy. There is all manner of explosions, perhaps causing some to wonder if they accidentally wandered into the latest Michael Bay film.
These aren't wrong in and of itself, but it takes more than that to truly get us inside a story. Certainly, with the aforementioned qualities, we'll be intrigued; we'll leave the theater thinking how horrible it was, what conditions they had to endure. But we'll wake up the next morning and that'll be it. And honestly? These stories deserve more.
Now, I'm not saying Dunkirk is the greatest thing since sliced bread (and I must say, it never ceases to amaze me the shocking number of people who don't know that expression). In fact, there are plenty of well-done war films (Saving Private Ryan and the more recent Hacksaw Ridge) that stick with you long after their run time ends.
Dunkirk, though, manages to be different. Instead of developing the story by rotating between bad guy scenes and good guy scenes, the film focuses on the experiences of the trapped soldiers and those coming to rescue them, forcing you to constantly stay in their perspectives. The most intriguing style element of the film comes from its sound design's clever use of a clock. Upon leaving the theater, my thoughts kept returning to the incessant ticking that plays throughout almost the entirety of the film. At times, it was indiscernible against the rest of the noise, but against the silence, it was deafening. Also, there's not a ton of dialogue which may be strange at first, but there's beauty in its lacking. The visual Nolan crafts speaks for itself; it is its own language and needs no explanation.
...there's not a ton of dialogue which may be strange at first, but there's beauty in its lacking. The visual Nolan crafts speaks for itself; it is its own language and needs no explanation.
The potentially problematic side effect of sparse dialogue is the even greater reliance on the visual. Audiences are forced to pay greater attention to things like setting, cinematography, and acting. And, if the actors themselves can't show and not tell (the link is worth the read), the film itself becomes exponentially weaker.
Empathy for the characters was a necessity with a story like Dunkirk. This is no easy task but was expertly done with stellar performances from talented, seasoned actors like Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy, as well as newcomer Fionn Whitehead. Even Harry Styles of One Direction fame gives solid work in his first film role.
I love when I leave a movie I never expected to like and not only be pleasantly surprised but have it become a new favorite. Not because I'm suddenly a fan of the war movie genre; I don't think I'll ever truly get into them (or Westerns for that matter). But because it was good. It was artistic, thoughtful, and a real feat to make. Because for two hours, I was never at the movies. I was there.
Dunkirk couldn't be like any other war movie because it's not like any other war story. It required vision and intentionality in order to do it justice. This $5 ticket was worth it if only for the simple fact that Nolan gets that.