Christopher Nolan is back. Cinematography's dark knight feels well at home with the gritty and grim setting that is the beaches of Dunkirk. Historically tuned to tell us the story of an army in despair abandoning the continent already aflame to war as the German army pushes both the English and the french towards the sea. This film isn't about one central character but the character of the soldier who still fights when winning is no longer an option but survival is very much the morale and more crucial victory. From the films opening moments of unsettling silence on a french street to the windswept harsh cold of a dull beached out collection of sullen faced men the tone is deafening of defeat, and yet a film so full of despair it's clear the message of the film is very much hope.
From the valiant efforts of a three man RAF patrol running low on fuel who'll do whatever it takes to stand where they still can, a group of civilian requisitioned boats sent to the jaws of war determined to do there bit for country and fellowman to the soldiers fighting in anyway they can to dislodge themselves from their assigned fates on the grim sands to one last moment of survival.
War films seem far and few between these days, instead cinemas are fuelled by CGI Robots, superheros or more than likely films are about street racers turned bank robbers???
Alas here is a film undoubtedly made with the masterful touch of Nolan and made me fascinated to find out more about exactly what happened really much like Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan did almost twenty years ago.
For a second there I had some horrible flashbacks to the Dark Knight Rises as Tom Hardy appeared masked up in his plane mumbling orders and communications to his fellow comrades but thankfully speeches weren't needed this time round as even confined(both behind a mask and inside a cockpit for the whole film.) Hardy's performance as the squadron leader showed just one yet one amazing perspective high above the seas literally giving his all for those below to the what could be his very last breath. When given a decision time and time again to turn back and fight another day, you see the struggle Hardy personifies the struggle just by mannerism and eye movements, every minute that ticks by he can do a little more, just one more and for me his character stood out as one of the finest.
Mark Rylance's character is another stand out for me. His character is the first to sail his boat for the pillar of smoking chaos bellowing from Dunkirk and is the one standing his ground throughout, the rock in the centre of the sea. The best point is that while he's resilient in his cause to get there and do his part he's confronted with several conflicts that would sway even the most stern solider (as shown by Cillian Murphy's Officer gone awry with fear). yet the struggle and doubt appears he, looks to the horizon, at the literal point of no return as he's told nothing is waiting but death and still he shows a valiant loyalty like hardy to help those stranded. His performance is the every man turned towards the darkest moments of the world and not turning away, but turning to it and prevailing even though.
Fionn Whitehead. While no characters get the heavy meat of the script Fionn must have the least and yet arguably his role is the best with his youthful approach, he does everything with his actions and moments of minor heroics that show his character while at first seems just a small cog in the churning war machine is as pivotal as any man on the beach, in a plane or heading to the beach on a small civilian boat. He's the undeniable heart of the film in that he's doing what anyone would do to survive and yet shows several times that it doesn't mean giving up on humanity, even when all that waits for the righteous appears to be a horrific end. His character is easily our main focal point in both the devastation of war and also the courageous asks that even the meekest can perform and still stand in an age of pure hellish war and do the right thing. honourable mentions go to Kenneth Branagh who looks like he belongs in that Navy uniform and delivers some of the best lines as well as owning the part just from his demeanour and James D'arcy as the straight edged military general who is shares his scenes with Branagh as the two play brilliantly of each other. Though this was the first time i saw Cillian Murphy as unneeded, not as his character wasn't needed but i felt that maybe if Nolan wanted to give him something more to do and really make his presence known bar the (maybe two) scenes he appears in.
There's no vivid presence on screen of the German forces, or any enemy even remotely insight (yes you see the enemy fighters) but my point is this film isn't an average war film with heroes and villains and overcoming the bug bad guy. With not one instance of a human embodiment of an enemy and no real vision of what their fighting (everyone already knows of course) the tension is incredible throughout and the music helps ramp up every second of the narratives near hopeless future early on and as the film draws to its close. This is a film based on a history that you can easily read up on and know exactly what will most likely happen on this beachfront but that's not the point in the film. The point is the tension of every single life on those sands from second one to the ending credits you never truly feel that wave of tension subside to its all over and when you start looking at the finer details you really see the effort and love Nolan puts into making his films whether the Dark Knight facing a clown prince, two feuding magicians or upping the scale and showing us an army on the tipping point of the world about to lose everything. He makes you care and seeing this you definitely will care, and most likely end up digging to see just what happened in Dunkirk which is a big victory for the history buff in me. Dunkirk is another definitely another success in Nolan's filmography and while arguably the way he chose to construct his narrative I find a slightly disjointing decision, this is definitely up there with the likes of Inception and his Dark Knight Trilogy a smart, emotional and gritty look at the cruel world in one of its darkest and yet most pivot-ally human hours.
From the valiant efforts of a three man RAF patrol running low on fuel who'll do whatever it takes to stand where they still can, a group of civilian requisitioned boats sent to the jaws of war determined to do there bit for country and fellowman to the soldiers fighting in anyway they can to dislodge themselves from their assigned fates on the grim sands to one last moment of survival.
War films seem far and few between these days, instead cinemas are fuelled by CGI Robots, superheros or more than likely films are about street racers turned bank robbers???
Alas here is a film undoubtedly made with the masterful touch of Nolan and made me fascinated to find out more about exactly what happened really much like Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan did almost twenty years ago.
For a second there I had some horrible flashbacks to the Dark Knight Rises as Tom Hardy appeared masked up in his plane mumbling orders and communications to his fellow comrades but thankfully speeches weren't needed this time round as even confined(both behind a mask and inside a cockpit for the whole film.) Hardy's performance as the squadron leader showed just one yet one amazing perspective high above the seas literally giving his all for those below to the what could be his very last breath. When given a decision time and time again to turn back and fight another day, you see the struggle Hardy personifies the struggle just by mannerism and eye movements, every minute that ticks by he can do a little more, just one more and for me his character stood out as one of the finest.
Mark Rylance's character is another stand out for me. His character is the first to sail his boat for the pillar of smoking chaos bellowing from Dunkirk and is the one standing his ground throughout, the rock in the centre of the sea. The best point is that while he's resilient in his cause to get there and do his part he's confronted with several conflicts that would sway even the most stern solider (as shown by Cillian Murphy's Officer gone awry with fear). yet the struggle and doubt appears he, looks to the horizon, at the literal point of no return as he's told nothing is waiting but death and still he shows a valiant loyalty like hardy to help those stranded. His performance is the every man turned towards the darkest moments of the world and not turning away, but turning to it and prevailing even though.
Fionn Whitehead. While no characters get the heavy meat of the script Fionn must have the least and yet arguably his role is the best with his youthful approach, he does everything with his actions and moments of minor heroics that show his character while at first seems just a small cog in the churning war machine is as pivotal as any man on the beach, in a plane or heading to the beach on a small civilian boat. He's the undeniable heart of the film in that he's doing what anyone would do to survive and yet shows several times that it doesn't mean giving up on humanity, even when all that waits for the righteous appears to be a horrific end. His character is easily our main focal point in both the devastation of war and also the courageous asks that even the meekest can perform and still stand in an age of pure hellish war and do the right thing. honourable mentions go to Kenneth Branagh who looks like he belongs in that Navy uniform and delivers some of the best lines as well as owning the part just from his demeanour and James D'arcy as the straight edged military general who is shares his scenes with Branagh as the two play brilliantly of each other. Though this was the first time i saw Cillian Murphy as unneeded, not as his character wasn't needed but i felt that maybe if Nolan wanted to give him something more to do and really make his presence known bar the (maybe two) scenes he appears in.
There's no vivid presence on screen of the German forces, or any enemy even remotely insight (yes you see the enemy fighters) but my point is this film isn't an average war film with heroes and villains and overcoming the bug bad guy. With not one instance of a human embodiment of an enemy and no real vision of what their fighting (everyone already knows of course) the tension is incredible throughout and the music helps ramp up every second of the narratives near hopeless future early on and as the film draws to its close. This is a film based on a history that you can easily read up on and know exactly what will most likely happen on this beachfront but that's not the point in the film. The point is the tension of every single life on those sands from second one to the ending credits you never truly feel that wave of tension subside to its all over and when you start looking at the finer details you really see the effort and love Nolan puts into making his films whether the Dark Knight facing a clown prince, two feuding magicians or upping the scale and showing us an army on the tipping point of the world about to lose everything. He makes you care and seeing this you definitely will care, and most likely end up digging to see just what happened in Dunkirk which is a big victory for the history buff in me. Dunkirk is another definitely another success in Nolan's filmography and while arguably the way he chose to construct his narrative I find a slightly disjointing decision, this is definitely up there with the likes of Inception and his Dark Knight Trilogy a smart, emotional and gritty look at the cruel world in one of its darkest and yet most pivot-ally human hours.
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