The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk betwee...
This movie is one of the greatest war films ever made, and it ABSOLUTELY needs to to be seen in IMAX. Christopher Nolan is perhaps the finest filmmaker we have working today, and this film definitely ranks in the mists of his finest works. However, this film is not a typical Nolan film, and this film isn't really a typical war film. It doesn't have the complexity, and the convoluting nature of typical Nolan works such as Memento and The Prestige. While in the war aspect, it doesn't quite have a huge battle sequence in a "Saving Private Ryan" fashion, as it relatively stays grounded and small scale.
The movie doesn't contain great character backstory, and I'm not gonna pretend like I remember more than 3 of the character's names. Because this film isn't about that, only one thing matters in this film for these characters. Survival. This is war, and the only thing these soldiers wanna do is survive, and that's why I still find this film very relatable. In my opinion, to add waves of character descriptions and backstory would only tarnish what this movie stands for. I do, however, understand why some people may not appreciate as much this way of storytelling, and in that case I would recommend something like Saving Private Ryan, where characters are well fleshed out in a very satisfying and entertaining way within a war film.
Now when I said this film NEEDS to be seen in IMAX that wasn't an exaggeration. Dunkirk is relatively short, only 107 minutes long. However, I was physically and mentally exhausted by the end of the film due to the pure intensity and adrenaline pumping scenes and effects in this film. The cinematography in this film is utterly gorgeous, and the auditory and visual effects used in this movie are stunning.The score is simply incredible as Hans Zimmer really brings his A game to create, and add to extremely suspenseful atmospheres. IMAX offers the opportunity to really feel the extreme rattling of gunfire, and the fearful force of fighter planes, as it makes you feel like one of the soldiers shrieking in horror, and desperately hoping for survival, yet I still find myself awestruck at the brilliance I was witnessing in theater.
The acting in this film is great. I feel that the actors properly portrayed how solidiers would feel in this situation, as I felt their fear, desperation, and the immense struggle that the men went through. One of my favorite portrayals from the film was actually from Harry Styles. I feared before watching, that he might end up being a glorified cameo, more than an actual character in the film. However I found his character to be genuine and real, Not to mention he's the main lead in my favorite and perhaps the most suspenseful scene of the film. The other big name in the film Tom Hardy is used just perfectly as he doesn't over shine his counterparts and is very consistent throughout.
In conclusion Dunkirk is a movie close to cinematic perfection, and one that shows as much as any other film the brilliance that Christopher Nolan possesses. However, it may not be for you, so know what kind of movie you're expecting beforehand, but I still highly recommend it, as it is well worth a watch.
