Divisive work of art

Rating: 10/10 (14 September 2019)

Reviews on here seem to love this film or hate it. Some of the criticisms seem churlish (it didn't talk about this or that aspect of the battle - well it isn't a documentary); others have perhaps some merit (the characters are pretty thin - but theyre thick enough I think). But I LOVE this film. I thought it was visually stunning, some of the action scenes (various ship sinkings in particular) are truly terrifying, the soundtrack was compelling and helped pace the story, and while there was not much dialogue, that was part of the point, and the structure of the storys intertwining is technically fantastic. I think the characterless ness of the main characters was to make them more of an everyman, rather than anyone in particular. It allows you to become emersed in the rollercoaster without having to keep track of complex characters arcs. And whilst some see that as a weakness, I see that as a strength. The point is to try and make this a visceral experience of the desperation and fear, and helplessness of those involved. And it does that extremely well.