An immersive, unexpected experience.

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2017)

Dunkirk relentlessly thrusts you into the experience of desperation in war. The sound design is invasive and brutal. The score is minimal and uncomfortable at times. It is difficult to relate to any of the characters. There are no real standout performances. The non-linear use of time keeps you off-balance. All of these things that would mostly ruin any other movie, are what make Christopher Nolan's historical war piece absolutely brilliant.
This is not Inception or The Dark Knight. There will be many who do not like this film, which is totally understandable. I left the theater unsure of how I felt myself. I went in possibly expecting a cerebral story with a few twists and turns but left without a real sense of clarity. At first, I thought I must have missed something. I kept playing through some of the scenes in my head, and it was already difficult to play out where they took place within the film, mere minutes after the film ended. I think that is all part of the experience.
This film does have signature Nolan style in its cinematography and scale. It's beautifully shot and there are striking scenes. This film is definitely intended for the IMAX format in its scale. That being said, the biggest and most towering part of this film is the sound design. Its uncomfortably loud and jarring. It is one aspect that truly makes you feel like you are in the same desperate situation as the soldiers on the screen. And there are so many soldiers on the screen, mostly indistinguishable from one another. We are given more time with a select few characters, but we are not given much character development at all. I think that is okay.
There is not much dialogue at all. None of the performances really shine in a big way.That is not to say this film is poorly acted. They were intended to be subtle performances and I think the cast succeeded brilliantly. This film is not about how an individual character experiences this battle. Its about the battle itself and how we as an audience experience it.
There are no big war hero moments. There is no one "hero" of this film. Rather, in the midst of all of the horror and desperation, we are given these little moments of heroism. Its not "guns-a- blazing" heroism, but personal, human moments of people doing the right thing. The littlest acts among such a vast, harsh landscape of survival gave me great hope that was desperately needed in the experience. They are beautiful when they happen.
The action is not filled with CGI explosions. It all feels real, as I would expect with a Christopher Nolan film, especially one with a historical context. It feels as though all of the effects were caught in camera. This is a PG-13 war movie, so there aren't scenes full of dismembered limbs in pools of blood, but there are intense, painful moments. In fact, a lot of the action is almost claustrophobic at times. It felt real. Everything about this film felt fully immersive.
Nolan plays with time in interesting ways in this film. It threw me off and made me feel like I was missing something. This could be seen as a flaw to the picture, and I would totally understand that perspective. I wrestle with that myself. However, upon further thought, think it is just another layer to the immersion. It keeps me from having any real sense of what is going on around me besides the immediate, thunderous sounds of danger.
There is a lot to digest in this deceptively complicated film. Its a beautiful picture meant for the big screen, and more importantly, powerful sound systems. I think this will prove to be one of Nolan's most divisive films. I totally understand why people will walk away disappointed, but I also understand why people will consider it a masterpiece. For now, I side closer to calling it a masterpiece after considering its intentions and the creativity Nolan employed to achieve them. We'll see if that changes as I continue to chew on Dunkirk. I give it a 9 out of 10.