Dunkirk

You don't need to be a historian to enjoy an evocative war film like "Dunkirk".

To be precise, "Dunkirk" is not your traditionally structured film where there are interesting character developments, a focused storyline or catchy dialogue. Instead, it is more of a historical account that is dramatized and meant to elicit the grueling atmosphere of war, like "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Saving Private Ryan". In that case, "Dunkirk" may not sound as worthwhile or desirable for everyone's wallet, but believe me, it is one of the greatest war films I've watched to date, and possibly the best project Christopher Nolan has ever undertaken in his career (yes, maybe even better than the "The Dark Knight" trilogy and "Interstellar").

I am not a huge history enthusiast. I only had a moderate taste of it in high school like many others, and never desired to venture into the subject further. Fortunately in the case of "Dunkirk", I learned about the important events in World War 2 just enough so that backstory wasn't an issue in this film, like for most people. The Dunkirk evacuation (also known as "Operation Dynamo" and "Miracle at Dunkirk"), which happened between May 26th and June 4th, 1940, was a major evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbors of Dunkirk, Northern France during World War 2. This operation was hastily commenced after the "Battle of France", when the British, French, and Belgian army were compromised and surrounded by the Nazis. During this time, the soldiers were forced to endure merciless strafes of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and other chaotic conditions, and nearly 68,000 soldiers were lost in the aftermath. However, in a miraculous turn of events, the combined efforts of the British Expeditionary Force and volunteering civilians rescued over 330,000 soldiers, which was ten times the initial estimate. In the film "Dunkirk", this incredible account is told in three interconnected perspectives: on land, on sea, and in the air.

When a historical event like this is merely recited, it is difficult to discern the significance or intensity because words alone obviously lack the same level of immersive impact as motion-pictures. One of many reasons why "Dunkirk" successfully brings warfare to life is because of its near-impeccable visuals and realistic point-of-view shots. From the harrowing sound effects of the gunshots to the intricate details of the soldiers' facial expression, the film depicts the realistic desperation and fear that beleaguers everyone involved in the evacuation, which includes the soldiers, commanders, and civilians. However, the most heartwrenchingly tense aspect of the film is the dogfights. Part of it is the inherent precarious nature of aerial assaults, but it is how the audience are consistently placed in the point of view of the fighter planes' target system and cockpit, as if you are actually in control. These are only a few of many techniques in which Nolan employs in "Dunkirk" to prioritize reality, and his mastery certainly renders the film engaging and immediate.

As mentioned in the beginning, "Dunkirk" neglects fundamentally crucial elements that usually lead any film to debacle. In other words, there doesn't seem to be a distinct storyline that incorporates character development or empathy from the audience. In fact, I can't even name one character in the film, nor can I easily identify its dramatic structure, which is why I failed to make connections with the soldiers. However, before watching, I never expected "Dunkirk" to be centered around a particular character or a literary theme. As the title suggests, it is a film about an event. Thus, in this case, Nolan's approach to focus on the realism instead of literature is highly appropriate. Indeed there are acclaimed war films in the past that was more story-driven than "Dunkirk", but it is also unrealistic that soldiers chitchat about their families and banter with each other in the middle of a war. Moreover, the film shying away from specifically naming the characters, in turn, further enforces the fact that all 400,000 soldiers are in the same predicament, regardless of how much screen time they get. Due to this, I was able to sympathize for all the soldiers that were unfortunate enough to be part of the event, both in the film and in real life, which is probably what Nolan ultimately aimed for.

There are other criticisms from the community indicating the film's historical inaccuracies, paucity of female characters and various ethnicity, over-dramatization, and the lack of sanguinary violence. Based on my experience, these are either extremely finicky or completely invalid points for the purpose of a film. While some people prefer other ways of storytelling, it doesn't detract from the fact that "Dunkirk" so exquisitely captures the essence of war and evacuation. However, my only criticisms are the slightly confusing non-linear plot structure and the thick British vernacular; I struggled to understand the dialogue and the chronological order of the story, which eventually gave me a minor headache near the end. Nevertheless once again, the film's positives overwhelmingly outweighs the negatives. There is no doubt that the characters, dialogue, and story can feel dull and unrelatable for some, but the audience shouldn't forget that "Dunkirk" is just about war and the spectacle of it. The music, the sound effects, the visuals, the sets, the circumstances and the overall atmosphere are extraordinarily realistic for a film, all of which gratifyingly exude the nature of combat. As a result, this brand new style of storytelling from Nolan is almost revolutionary, and there are scenes in "Dunkirk" that left me on the verge of crying in the theater for the first time in my life, which is an experience I don't take lightly. And neither should you.

Verdict: Legendary 10

Box Office: $527.3 million Release Date: July 21, 2017 Rewatchable: Yes

Here is the trailer that won me over. It should win over you too.