A flawed masterpiece

Rating: 7/10 (3 June 2018)

Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK is a flawed masterpiece, an often eye-poping and exhilarating cinematic experience let down by a few problems with the writing. The structure is very clever, although not quite as clever as that of INCEPTION; three separate story strands are explored as the (surprisingly short) running time progresses, best described as on land, on sea, and in the air. Each strand occupies a different length of time but all interact in a satisfying way. Each feels like a separate film. The aerial combat sequences, featuring Tom Hardy, are undoubtedly DUNKIRK's highlight and often quite stunning; you've never seen scenes like this before and they totally convince. I felt like Nolan should make his next film a Biggles adaptation on the strength of them.
The sea sequences play out like a thriller and are also authentic and finally acted, with Mark Rylance delivering another great turn after BRIDGE OF SPIES. There' s no faulting them. Surprisingly, it's the land-focused soldier scenes which see Nolan slip up. The soldier protagonists are presented in the worst light, as cowards who spend their time skulking around, spying on Kenneth Branagh, and then essentially deserting their regiments to hole up in an abandoned ship. I found it ludicrous that the soldiers wouldn't bother setting up a sentry or two in the sand dunes at this point, and their stupidity leads to the expected death and chaos. These aren't huge problems, but I expected more from Nolan. The rest of the film is still masterful, however, and well worth rewatching to see brilliance you won't find elsewhere.