Christopher Nolan did it once again. He delivered yet another mad classic with his favorite concept of time. The difference is he incorporated it into this world-changing historical event during World War II.
Dunkirk is one of those unforgettable parts of history that tends to be overshadowed, but it became one of the war's turning points.
Plot Overview
The movie follows several story plot points shown in different periods. However, it all began when the Allied soldiers were trapped by the German soldiers in the small town of Dunkirk. They are waiting to be evacuated before the enemy captures them.
The first story follows Tommy, a young British soldier stranded on a beach, and thousands of soldiers wanting to evacuate the small town of Dunkirk. After he and Gibson successfully boarded a ship, it was hit by the German Luftwaffe dive bombers. The boat sank, and Gibson saved Tommy and another soldier named Alex, and they were forced to return to Dunkirk. They join other soldiers and wait for their fate in a seemingly hopeless situation, stranded in the small town.
The second story follows civilian sailors Dawson and his son Peter preparing to go to Dunkirk with their boat and help with the evacuation missions. George, their teenage friend, joins them. As they crossed the treacherous English Channel, they found and rescued a wounded and shell-shocked soldier from a wrecked ship. After the soldier finds out they are going to Dunkirk, he demands that they turn back, and a commotion ensues.
The third story, which is also the shortest, follows three Royal Air Force Spitfire pilots navigating toward Dunkirk to help cover the evacuation and fend off enemy planes that will deter the evacuation. After the leader disappears during a dogfight, one of the pilots, Farrier, assumes command with his dwindling gasoline supply.
Review
Dunkirk is an exciting take on one of World War II's most iconic historical events. While this is not the best from Christopher Nolan, it has its creative share of this iconic moment.
The movie has less dialogue, and sometimes you watch the scenes and the characters go by to understand the film. The film is weighty in its wide use of incredible acting and musical score. Nolan partnered with the legendary Hans Zimmer to deliver and extract the best out of Dunkirk's scenes.
What's unique about this movie is how Christopher Nolan used time to misdirect the viewers. He showed it with three different time lengths colliding near the film's end. Tommy's scenes and experiences lasted about a week, Dawson and his son lasted almost a day, and Farrier's air battle lasted about an hour. It's uniquely structured so that the time differences won't matter.
Dunkirk has some inaccurate depictions of the actual events during World War II, but it certainly excelled in delivering action, drama, and mystery.
A good 4 out of 5 stars.