Failed Experiment

Rating: 4/10 (3 January 2018)

Others have already said what I felt, or DIDN'T feel, which is perhaps more the point. Since Nolan eliminated any reason for empathy with his characters, I felt none. I didn't have any investment whether any of them lived or died. There are no Private Ryans to rescue here. Four of my four stars are awarded to the cinematography, which Nolan was attempting to use to carry the emotional arc of his story. This failed. Several reasons: It was actually difficult to tell his characters apart. The three young soldiers all had a similar look (especially when they were covered in oil and shot in the dark). The pilots all had their faces covered with oxygen masks. Among the recognizable actors: The wonderful Cillian Murphy was wasted, and snore-inducing Mark Rylance seems to think the best acting is that which differentiates the actor the least from a corpse. And forget about which plane is British and which is German in the dog fights. I appreciate that Nolan is attempting to find new ways (are they new?) to tell stories on film, but DUNKIRK just doesn't rise to its own challenge, and the climax of the film is bewilderingly underwhelming. DUNKIRK a sketch of a movie rather than a movie itself. I only watched it to the end because, mercilessly, it's not epic-length. Nolan's aim might have been Brechtian, but the result was just distancing. And when you are not involved with the characters, you notice every single thing that is wrong or inadequate. I think the real problem is that there was no one on this project with the clout to say no to Nolan or to challenge him. He wrote and directed it and co-produced it with Emma Thompson, his wife. Usually a collaborative art form works better if there are collaborators.