Great theatrical experience

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2017)

The film is separated in three sub-stories.
One follows a soldier on the beach of Dunkirk. This plot had much more potential than what has been done with, but also remains within a dull and realistic scope.
One follows a man with his common boat going at the rescue in Dunkirk. This plot was okay but that's all.
One follows a pilot flying with his comrade, clearing enemies the best they can in direction of Dunkirk. This plot was exceptionally amazing and moving. I was very touched by it.
There are three major negatives in my opinion: ----
Firstly, one of the attractive premise of the film was its acclaimed realism about war. And yet with a PG rating, the film stray quite away from the crudeness of warfare. The most blood to be seen is on gauze and bandage of the wounded. No physical obliteration, flying limbs nor anything in graphic nature of actual war.
Possibly, Nolan wanted to make the horror of war accessible to the popular audience, where war movies may not be that attractive in the first place, by using of his reputation. The film is mostly about the psychological perspective of living such event.
In short, a strawberry shortcake without strawberry. ----
Secondly, the ambiance brought with the aid of Hans Zimmer score is not without fault. At some point, around 3/4th of the movie, I found myself distracted by this music. The dramatically-epic sounds fill the film throughout, reducing their emotional impact and at time, as aforementioned, feel downright pretentious.
In short, no need to force drama upon the act of taking a load with epic music. ----
Finally, throughout the movie, only a handful of German planes can be seen and some out of focus German soldiers at the very end. That's pretty much all there is about the axis in this film, which is a shame.
In short, the good versus the bad bias. Not addressing the enemy perspective and showing the allied in a general triumphant light.
The film is in a way contradictory in the sense that it is highly claustrophobic, focusing on characters that in turn have little development. There are few scenes of large and extended perspective, with the exception of the aerial sub-plot. A very large shot, encompassing the whole beach, showing the 400000 soldiers would have been epic.
Concluding, this is a somewhat great movie. More historic values than its ''censored'' realism despite tremendous practical effects.