Dunkirk ☆☆☆/☆☆☆☆

Abstract: Dunkirk is the story of a conflicted filmmaker who wants to be a blockbuster director and an auteur.

We should hail Dunkirk as a true technical achievement (sound design, score, cinematography, acting — all of its components work together nearly perfectly, not to mention the impressive lack of CG), but we should also call it what it is: a blockbuster war film.

Any war, certainly any war in the modern era, could have been used with nearly the same script. That this is The War Film of all war films is a reading Christopher Nolan seems to encourage by continually resisting history. It’s already been noted, for example, that there is no Nazi paraphernalia, almost no Churchill, etc. What there is: interchangeable names of towns, boats, planes, and people.

The film, likewise, seems to encourage being labeled a blockbuster — like most of Nolan’s films — for the same reason. This story sets out to appeal to the largest audience possible, and in so doing, it neutralizes (neuters) history precisely by not naming the enemy. To be fair, Nolan has certainly brought a compelling — dare I say, universal — story of human survival and triumph to light in this way, but it is — because of its genericness — a toothless story of limited value. Which is not to say of no value. In fact, when this story works best is when it does give us someone to potentially vilify and then asks us who is really responsible. I’m referring, of course, to Cillian Murphy’s character. There is a real, regenerative power in being able to expose the mechanisms that men in power use to irreparably abuse their fellows. In this instance, the mechanism is war and the irreparable abuse is post-traumatic stress disorder.

But what the story ultimately accomplishes is something like an everyman’s tale. Anyone can appropriate for themselves the position of this story’s abused survivors and can place their enemies in the position of the faceless u-boats and dive bombers. But now, especially now, in the era of Donald Trump, we need fewer blockbusters and more films with teeth — more films that are willing not only to show the effects of the abuse, but also to call out the abusers by name.

That said, give Nolan the damn Oscar already. As conflicted as he is by his need to be both a blockbuster director and an auteur, he is certainly a master behind the lens. Dunkirk is his best example of that so far and comes neatly packaged in generalities, just the way the Academy almost always likes its winners.

Truedson Jerald Sandberg
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade