Steals pure cinema back from the grave dug by Marvel/DC

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2017)

World War II movies are a genre that until very recently, with 2016's Hacksaw Ridge, had found its way to the back shelves of big budget productions. Since the last re-imagining of the segment back in the late 90's (Thin Red Line/Private Ryan) the ultra-intense and graphically violent content has worn most epic war stories into tired reheats that have lacked the inspiration that rekindled audience interest with those earlier releases. There has been no shortage of stories to tell, but with the explosion of the super-hero movie and re-booting of classic franchises, many major studios have let the War movie fall by the wayside.
On its surface, the story of Dunkirk from an Allied perspective would seem to be a difficult sell to said production companies. More evacuation zone than battleground, neither bloody defeat nor heroic victory and a technical aspect that would guarantee a difficult shoot – it's no wonder someone like Chris Nolan had to be behind the camera to get this one off the ground.
The film itself drops the viewer straight into the thick of it. We have all seen our share of WW2 movies, we don't need to establish who the heroes and villains are – this is a simple survival story told in a way not seen before. This is not about finding one specific protagonist and their struggle to escape the beach at Dunkirk, this is an all-encompassing vision that rather focuses on the duty of those involved. Organising the Evacuation of Dunkirk required steadfast dedication from all involved in the face of impending doom. The outcome of the European campaign would be determined by this events success/failure.
There are 3 perspectives used for building the story – Land, Sea and Air. A typical but original Nolan twist involving time-lines across the 3 aspects allow for key scenes to be viewed from each perspective at slightly different times during the film. The movie shines through its pure film making rather than relying on a strong leading performance or stand out battle sequences. In saying that though, the performances on screen are exceptional just the same. Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh take nuance to lofty levels and provide moments that stay with you long after they play out on screen. The subtlety of stout British earnestness (read: Keep Calm & Carry On) is the hero here and represented to perfection, especially in Hardy's case given he wears his flight mask/goggles for the entire movie and barely has a dozen lines of dialogue. These are three men going to heroic lengths in order to do what they all knew needed to happen for the greater good. Where other movies show soldiers smothering grenades or running a gauntlet of gunfire to take ground, here again the viewer is treated with enough intelligence to know what each mans' actions mean in the bigger picture.
The scarcity of dialogue from the film is not restricted to Hardy and where some may find the lack of conversation in the movie a bit distracting or crippling towards development between characters that may take the story onto more familiar ground, this is where the film real strength comes through. By allowing various elements (Weather, Colour, Sound and actions of the characters) the spaces of silence allow the viewer to interpret the unfolding drama in their own way, thus creating a far more powerful build in tension and emotion. Of course the cinematic elements of the production are delivered to the highest possible standard, Zimmers score soars, Van Hoytema utilizes cutting edge IMAX technology to bring new levels of detail and scope to screen (I saw this in 4K IMAX Laser @ Melb) while Nolans' direction and writing is as clean and concise as ever.
With over 70% of the film shot in full IMAX scope, this is cinema at its finest. I was completely won over by the Aerial dogfights and amazing sound design of the classic Spitfire warplanes. The number of extras stacked up in columns on the beach or the practical set pieces where entire Destroyers are sunk. Take your pick of any of these or scores of other memorable moments from what will surely develop into a future classic for the WW2 film canon.