An immersive, visceral experience.

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2017)

Dunkirk plays almost like an old-fashioned disaster film. The film follows characters on land (Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard and Harry Styles), on the sea (Mark Rylance, Barry Keoghan and Tom Glynn- Carney) and in the sky (Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden) - each with a very different role to play in the events that unfold.
Director Christopher Nolan paints visual poetry with Dunkirk. Shooting on film in 70mm, IMAX-- the whole nine yards pays off with relish. The film is beautiful to look at and the carnage is jaw- dropping. I had the pleasure of being invited to an IMAX screening of the film and having the images truly fill your field of vision immerses you even further into the events on screen.
Hans Zimmer's score sets the viewer on edge from the very beginning - a distinct ticking sound permeates most of the score. That, paired with the ear-ringing sounds of explosions and gunfire - which often occur without warning, establish a sense of dread and unease that an attack could happen at any moment, no matter how calm an on screen exchange may be.
There is a certain level of emotional detachment throughout most of the film, albeit with certain moments that pop. I think this works in the film's favor in that we see that some soldiers will do whatever they must to survive - with one expressing that "survival isn't fair". This isn't a rousing war film with swelling strings and beautiful sunsets. Dunkirk is grimy and grim with death at every corner. There is a sense that the suffering of its characters do not end when the credits roll.
If I were to note any caveats, the pacing is a little wobbly in its second act as the film bounces between characters, and some may take issue with the repetitive, prolonged nature of certain sequences of carnage. That being said, these caveats are minor.
Nolan has crafted a beautifully tense and viscerally immersive spectacle that you should see on the biggest possible screen you can find. Dunkirk is an experience to behold.