Harry Situation Reviews: Dunkirk
War... war never changes.
Dunkirk is the World War 2 drama film directed by one of my all-time favorites Christopher Nolan, best known for directing The Dark Knight Trilogy and Interstellar. The story centers around the Dunkirk evacuation, where tens of thousands British and French soldiers are trapped by the surrounding Nazi forces and are desperately trying to survive. The story is told in three different perspectives–land, air, and sea–yet they all connect to each other in one way or another.
I’ve been a big fan of Christopher Nolan and his movies for a long time. I was definitely interested to see what he could do for this film. After viewing it I think only two words sum it up: HOLY SHIT.
This movie is two hours of a nonstop, nail-biting, white-knuckling, edge of your seat action sequence that gives you barely little time to breathe until the very end. This movie is incredible. Just fucking incredible.
The best way I can compare this movie to is the film Zulu. You’re there from the beginning and to the end, and the action and suspense seems to be relentless. But to call it an action film would be a lie. This is clearly a suspenseful thriller. The intensity never lets up and it’l grab your attention until the end.
Most of my praise is given by how realistic this movie is made. Everything from the ships, the planes, the soldier uniforms, and onward is 100% practical and genuine. This film was made to put the audience in that moment of the war, and make you feel the fear the soldiers felt.
The second thing to praise is Hans Zimmer’s score. My god, the music really helped carry the suspense of the film. I don’t know how he does it, but he DID it in this film. I only wish I could find the soundtrack on YouTube or Itunes or something just to listen to it again.
The editing and directing done by Nolan is also amazing. While I get the feeling that some audience members might get confused to some sequences and why they are place there, but trust me it all makes sense.
The acting, while good, also leads to probably the film’s biggest problem. The film lacks any characterization for any of the characters. Yet the more I thought about it this is a minor gripe against the movie. Ever notice how in all other war movies that some soldiers share have a moment to share their backstories to each other. This film doesn’t have those moments, and that actually works in its favor. The soldiers are there to get the fuck out of dodge. They don’t have time to share anything with anyone. They are in this to survive, and survival is critical. While I much prefer with I got something to connect with the characters, I think I felt connected when I was thrust into this war zone along with them thanks to Nolan’s stunning direction.
This is probably one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It goes up there with Logan, Wonder Woman, and War for the Planet of the Apes. I honestly wouldn’t mind going to see it a second or third time because it is that good. I highly recommend seeing this movie before the summer is over. I was blown away by it, and I think you will be too.
Positives: Negatives:
-Intensely powerful -Lack of characterization
-Nonstop suspense
-Amazing direction
-Good acting
-Hans Zimmer’s score
-Editing
Final Grade: A+
So there’s my review for contender for Best Movie of the Year. Have you seen this? What were your thoughts? Got any favorite movies set in WW2? Please be kind, leave a like and comment, and check back for more reviews here on Prose.com!
Best Quote:
Commander Bolton: “You can practically see it from here.”
Captain Winnant: “What?”
Commander Bolton: “Home.”
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