A fresh glimpse at WWII through the power of cinematic effects

Rating: 7/10 (14 August 2017)

After exploring new worlds, infiltrating dreams, presenting daring magic and saving Gotham, Christopher Nolan looked backwards to the well-known and studied era of World War II with the survival tale Dunkirk (2017). Nolan's subject-matter portfolio is dense and impressive, and this multi-layered wartime nautical drama undoubtedly furthers his array of capabilities. As one of the weaker Nolan films I have viewed, Dunkirk strips humanity from each of the soldiers battling for their lives against the ominous and overbearing forces of NAZI Germany.
After exploring new worlds, infiltrating dreams, presenting daring magic and saving Gotham, Christopher Nolan looked backwards to the well-known and studied era of World War II with the survival tale Dunkirk (2017). Nolan's subject-matter portfolio is dense and impressive, and this multi-layered wartime nautical drama undoubtedly furthers his array of capabilities. As one of the weaker Nolan films I have viewed, Dunkirk strips humanity from each of the soldiers battling for their lives against the ominous and overbearing forces of NAZI Germany.
The whimsicality of any Nolan film captivates most viewers as he challenges their intelligence, and Dunkirk delivers in this department. The film opens with youthful British soldier (Fionn Whitehead) evading German gunfire to eventually arrive at the jaw-dropping beach of Dunkirk to join more than 400,000 other evacuating British and Allied soldiers. Including this soldier's journey, the film follows three distinct and overlapping chronicles- a fighter pilot (Tom Hardy) who remains airborne for the entirety of the movie; and an older man (Mark Rylance) and two boys' journey to Dunkirk to provide transportation less likely to be attacked,
Intent aside, characterization was rather nonexistent in this film, other than for a few brief moments, such when the nationality of a character is revealed and inspires prejudice from other characters in the setting or young boys accompany one's father on a private yacht to rescue entrapped soldiers. The choice to omit much emotional dialogue helps Nolan's cause to present these human lives as disposable to the commanding forces, but the decision also creates a detachment from the viewer who is less concerned when a character is in peril. On the contrary, a NAZI soldier is never seen or given dialogue, which establishes true horror in painting a force only capable of violence.
Visual and sound effects dominate the film's appeal. Never before have I been so entranced by war story. The NAZI attacks are riveting and unexpected. The stark visuals of hundreds of thousands of soldiers hitting the beach sand at once are powerful, and as each bomb falls from the sky, the viewer is on the edge of their seat as we experience where they land.
Though the film was strong, I claimed it was weak for Nolan due to the all-out astonishment that some of his other works have left me begging for more. I likely will not watch Dunkirk again, but the film's context provides leaves it as a well-made, historical drama worth checking out.