
A Story of Survival
Dunkirk film review by Jeff Opdyke
Writer/Director Christopher Nolan continues to push the boundaries of IMAX technology and interweaving narratives further than ever with his latest achievement, Dunkirk. Filmed nearly 70% with IMAX film, it is a stunning experience that must be seen in its native format to get the full experience.
Dunkirk tells the story of Operation Dynamo, the rescue of British and French troops trapped by the Germans at Dunkirk beach in France during World War II in May-June 1940. The film follows 3 narratives told by soldiers on the beach, civilian sailors on the water, and RAF pilots in the air.
The theme of the film is survival. The story does not concern itself so much with winners or losers of a battle. Instead it focuses on the determination of the human spirit and defying expectations against all odds. The grander narrative unfolds in a slightly unorthodox fashion in that we are not really given any specific elements of who the characters are. Instead we literally live the horrifying traumatic experiences they suffer through. Each set of characters have their respective stories interwoven with each other, taking place at different moments in time.
The interweaving narratives is particularly fascinating. Nolan has done this in his previous films, notably Memento (2000) and also in Interstellar (2014). Here it is utilized in spectacular fashion. Early on it is obvious there is some time shifting when scenes change between night and day, considering that Operation Dynamo on the beach lasted 1 week while the story of the civilian boats happens in a single day and the pilots’ story takes place during 1 hour. As the film moves along familiar scene overlap starts to appear until finally everything connects together in the climax of each narrative.
The most striking element of Dunkirk is the combination of cinematography and sound. Using the large format IMAX film for such a large portion of the runtime, Christopher Nolan and his crew have created a stunning arrangement of sight and sound. Director of Photography Hoyte van Hoytema, who previously helmed Nolan’s Interstellar (2014), has taken the IMAX cameras places it has never gone before. With their massive size and heavy weight, I was often stunned each time I saw what was accomplished in camera placement. Hans Zimmer’s music has a constant tension-filled buildup with the action that simultaneously builds , further enhancing the drama unfolding. In particular the scenes in the planes make you truly feel as if you are in the cockpit with the pilots. Every groan and creak of the metal structure and ricocheting machine gun fire can be heard in full clarity. Never before have I felt closer to the aerial dogfights.
While the sound is a huge positive influence on the experience, it is also a spot of minor frustration in that the mix between effects and character dialogue clarity are harshly contrasted. It was often difficult to fully understand what characters were saying, sometimes further made unintelligible by heavy British accents. In a film where dialogue and character development is minimal, this makes the film a dominantly visual experience, almost like a silent film. However, this certainly does not detract from the larger experience, as the intensity of the drama unfolding onscreen more than makes up for the lack of clear dialogue. It is also possible the dialogue channel levels may differ depending on the theater sound system setup. I look forward to reading the screenplay to clear up the dialogue clarity issues.
Dunkirk is an extraordinary piece of cinematic artistry. Christopher Nolan’s unique structure shines. If you are still in search of something unique this summer among the endless barrage of franchise installments, this is the film to see!
Dunkirk is released through Warner Brothers Pictures.
