Dramatic, twisted and uplifting. Not the best of Nolan, but a great attempt to retell an almost harrowing story

Rating: 8/10 (31 July 2017)

It can be a presumed general consensus that it is easier to become a star actor than a star director. While some enjoy cult following, others are more mainstream. Very few among them are able to consistently balance between the both which is where Christopher Nolan stands on a pedestal among his contemporaries. Nolan had a strong cult following throughout the early part of his career and then 'The Dark Knight' happened. The fans were at a fever pitch during conclusion of the trilogy with chants like "in Nolan we trust" reverberating the entire social media; there is no such precedence for a movie director.
'Operation Dynamo' which is a code name for the evacuation of Allied soldiers from Dunkirk is a widely recorded operation that took place at the end of May 1940. When the British Expeditionary Forces along with French and Belgian armies were trapped in France surrounded by Nazi Germany troops at the height of their power, the only way out seemed to be an evacuation from Dunkirk which had adequate port facilities.
The story is said from 3 perspectives -
LAND: Where the ground troops are desperate to find their way to any of the ships available that can ferry them home;
SEA: Told from the view of crew of one among many merchant navy and personal boats which came to the rescue
AIR: A Spitfire squadron of three in lookout for any Luftwaffe threats
The thing that strikes you most is the fact that you are in the middle of the operation as soon as the movie starts without a background or a narrative (even when I was not expecting one). The gloomy vista of the beach, pale and desperate soldiers, a body here and there sets up the chaotic but silent atmosphere without hardly a word being said. The electrifying yet subtle background score keeps you at the edge of your seat and takes the overall experience up a notch. A similar compliment for cinematography too.
Christopher Nolan has so far been able to meet the sky high expectations of his fans and critics alike but there has always been a trick up his sleeve to wow his audience at some point in the movie. This is not that movie. It has far little character driven story to be considered as a dramatic movie and a complete lack of background narrative to be taken for a documentary. But it does hold a small trick that Nolan has perfected over the years - scrambled screenplay with intertwined timelines; It has become a bit of a habit to let the audience solve the puzzle which is his screenplay and the gratification one gets when the pieces are put together gives him a box-office hit. While I got entertained, I still find it evolving into a pattern.
There have been many WWII movies. Some great ones too. What does Nolan's Dunkirk bring to the table in an already crowded genre? It neither has the grit of Saving Private Ryan as much as you hardly see a drop of blood in a war movie, nor does it feature the drama or compassion as in The Pianist or the flamboyance and entertainment value of The Great Escape. But it does hold its ground by staying grounded. There are no faux heroism sequences, an unremarkable debut of a very popular singer and does not try to suffocate itself with too many stories. The ensemble cast delivers to the point that you no longer see them to be acting. The irony of a victory in evacuation is not lost in its storytelling.
Dramatic, twisted and uplifting. Not the best of Nolan, but a great attempt to retell an almost harrowing story.