“Dunkirk” is a 106-minute movie directed and written by Christopher Nolan, director of movies such as “Inception”, “Interstellar”, and the “Batman” movie trilogy. The movie is Nolan’s first time directing a movie about real-life events: in this case, allied soldiers from Belgium,England and France being evacuated by hundreds of boats from their home countries during a fierce battle in World War II. Since this movie is Nolan’s first time adapting a real life event, and the second time a movie about the historical event has been made in 59 years, there was certainly a lot going for it, and there was a lot that critics were looking for.
The movie definitely delivers: It tells the story in a very brutal fashion: there is no hesitation is showing death in every way possible. The story is told from three points of view: infantry, naval and air forces, and every force gets their share of destruction. Furthermore, there are no “main characters” in the film, every man standing is a character in their own right, whether they live or die. It certainly was a risky move: even top-billed actors like Tom Hardy only had about 10 lines of dialogue, and there many unknown and rookie actors involved, unlike Nolan’s other films. However, they all did a great job portraying young men in the middle of a war, and even the extras (about 1,500 men) did their fair share of acting as well. The soundtrack, done by Hans Zimmer, also helped set the mood for whatever scene there was: hopeful tones, booming bass lines, or tension-filled ticks.
This movie certainly isn’t for everyone. Not all people want to see a brutal war story, or see scenes of death every few minutes. However, there are scenes of hope throughout. Dunkirk may have been seen as a sign of defeat by the British government, but to the people, it was a sign of hope and what the people were willing to do for their country. You may have come to see death, but you walk out of with hope, even if you feel a little sadness. It is, without a doubt, one of the best movies this summer, and might go on to be one of the best war movies ever made.
The Art Archive 