Over the last few years, Christopher Nolan has established himself as a successful and well-known film director in Hollywood. The internet floods with newsfeeds whenever he announces his next project. Film enthusiasts as well as critics anxiously begin counting down the days until it is released.
I waited eagerly for the release of Dunkirk and watched it along with my friends. To be honest the film gives a totally different vibe when you see it on the big screen. It won Academy Award in 2018 for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Production Design.
The story takes place on land, at sea, and in the air and takes place across three distinct but overlapping time periods. Set in May 1940, German Army Forces attack Allied forces fighting in WWII (both British and French armies) in Dunkirk, France. With the Germans closing in on them, the soldiers are ordered to evacuate on the beaches in “Operation Dynamo.”
As the water is ‘too shallow,’ attackers are unable to reach Dunkirk’s harbour. When the British soldiers realise they can’t complete the mission alone, civilian ships help to rescue the army personnel stuck on the Dunkirk beaches. The soldiers who have been rescued have no sense of victory. Their disappointment is written all over their faces and they know the war has just begun.
Every film will have characters that play pivotal roles in it. Dunkirk isn’t about the characters but they represent the 40,000 plus soldiers gathered at the shore and their survival story.
Nolan portrays the film mostly in four different perspectives. Soldiers attempting to evacuate the beach, officers planning the evacuation, pilots protecting those on land and sea from enemy and civilians arriving for the rescue are among the four perspectives. We see the troops’ point of view through Tommy’s (Fionn Whitehead) attempts to flee the beach in various ways. The civilians who come to their rescue on their own private boats, are seen in Mr. Dawson’s (Mark Rylance) point of view. Officers like Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) are either issuing orders or devising strategies, and they all share a sense of hopelessness until the citizens come. Pilots in the air, largely seen through the eyes of Farrier (Tom Hardy), are attempting to shield military ships and subsequently civilian boats from aerial bombers.
What sets Dunkirk apart from the other war films is the cinematography and film editing. For example, when German planes bomb British ships at sea, it makes you duck and stare at the screen in astonishment. Another instance would be when Mr. Dawson as he sails towards Dunkirk to bring the soldiers home, you sail with him.
Another important thing in the film is the use of mise-en-scene which creates a realistic experience of war. One can also observe that the camera is casted as one among the other spectators of war. Dunkirk was shot in IMAX which brings a whole new visual treat to the audience. The sound of shooting, blasts, ticking of clock, plane flying, etc. used in accordance with the war leaves a long-lasting experience in the minds of people.
When all of the elements are considered, is an outstanding and exciting war film that deserved to win three Oscars.