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Dunkirk: Movie Review

I saw the word ‘intimate’ used in two different reveiws of Christopher Nolan’s new movie, Dunkirk. After going to see it, I’d have to disagree. The main feeling I get from the film is isolation. Constant wide shots show the vastness of the Channel and the sky, and the comparatively miniscule boats, fighter planes, and people. The soundtrack is a continual ticking drone, infrequently interrupted by moments of rest or resolution. Even the dialogue is sparse, sitting like islands in a sea of grim silence.

All of this combines to establish Dunkirk’s tone perfectly, a backdrop against which the three plot arcs of the film (soldiers on the beach, a civilian boat in the Channel, and Spitfire pilots in the air) stand out sharply. They are easy to keep track of, with the exception perhaps of some confusion over which black-haired soldier is which. Spotting points in which the different stories overlap is rewarding. Human moments, while again not intimate, are poignant, standing against the dual enemies of the water and the Germans (both elemental forces in this film).

+ Excellent tone
+ Easier to follow than some Nolan movies

- Another war movie
- Ends with Churchill speech voiceover; inspiring but cliche