Dunkirk Delivers on All Fronts

Rating: 8/10 (1 September 2017)

A film where characters are barely given a name and practically no background sounds like an uphill battle, but in Dunkirk the masterful Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, 2008) uses the impersonal element of war to deliver a chilling and gripping story.
Situated in the Northern French town of Dunkirk during World War II, the film follows an eclectic group of characters as the British forces undergo the evacuation of their soldiers in response to their encirclement by the oncoming Nazi army.
The film cleverly follows a non-linear narrative, interwoven into three parts; the mole, the sea and the air. Within the parts, different characters and story lines are followed which never directly interact with each other but are all influenced by the evacuation of Dunkirk.
The ensemble cast features a mixture of established stars and young up-and-comers, with no actor noticeably out of place. A personal favourite performance of mine was veteran Kenneth Branagh's role as Commander Bolton, who despite limited time on screen was pivotal in establishing the importance of the evacuation in its historical context. I believe the decision to provide little background information on the characters did hinder the film, as it was hard to build an emotional connection with a character you know little about. This was evident in the death of George (Barry Keoghan), which would have been more effective if the audience had a greater connection with the character.
As is accustom with the work of Christopher Nolan, the cinematography in Dunkirk is as breathtaking as it is realistic. Counteracting the ever-increasing Hollywood trend of CGI in every scene, Nolan employs a variety of practical effects in the film. At no point did any character, costume, prop or scenery feel out of place or unrealistic. To heighten this realism, Dunkirk was filmed on location in France, used over 6,000 extras and featured actual vehicles from World War II.
Perhaps the greatest attribute of the film is the use of sound. The score was composed by Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, 2000), the recipient of four Oscars and arguably the best composer in Hollywood. The soundtrack fitted the theme of war, utilising high tempo orchestral music to build tension in scenes with great effect. The use of this kind of music wasn't overused however, steering clear of the stereotypical Hollywood blockbuster action film effects. The music was used selectively, noticeably absent in scenes to highlight the dialogue and natural sounds in the film.
The film was at its chilling best during the night scenes in the ocean. As the incredibly loud missiles hit the near pitch-black ship, the audience became completely absorbed within the world and begin to comprehend just how scary the situation would be for the characters.
Overall, Dunkirk was an immersive cinematic experience worthy of multiple viewings. In any collection of greatest World War II films or even war films in general, Dunkirk is a must have and I would be shocked if the film is not featured heavily in the upcoming awards season.