Christopher Nolan’s 2017 war film thriller "Dunkirk" depicts the evacuation of the Allies at the harbor of Dunkirk, in Northern France, during World War II. Nolan transports his audience back to 1940 to remind them of this epic event in history. He attempts to create a sense of participation in witnessing the “Miracle of Dunkirk” rather than glorifying the story of any one hero.
Nolan constructs a bold non-linear narrative on three planes: on ground, in the air and on the sea, relying on visual portrayals and evocative music rather than dialogue. There is never a dull moment as the audience is kept at the edge of their seats for the entire 106 minutes of the run time. There are subdued moments of calm met with intense scenes of chaos and confusion: a hauntingly truthful depiction of war time.
The action is divided into three narratives by onscreen titles: “The Mole” (the breakwater) – where the troops wait on land to be rescued, “The Sea” – where troops are being evacuated by a boat of volunteer sailors and “The Air” – where the Royal Air Force Spitfires provide aerial support for the evacuation as they dogfight German planes.
On land, we see Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), a young soldier under fire from German forces on the streets of Dunkirk, as he escapes and makes his way to the beach. He meets Gibson, (Aneurin Barnard) another young soldier burying a body on the beach. After a German air raid they find a wounded man. Together they rush to take him to a ship for the injured. They are successful in getting him on the ship yet they are unable to board it themselves. They hide on the mole waiting to steal on to the next ship. After several unsuccessful attempts, during which Gibson and Tommy also rescue Alex (Harry Styles) from a sinking ship, they find themselves on a boat ridden with German bullets. As the need to offload someone to stop them from sinking becomes apparent, Alex turns on Gibson, accusing him of being a German because he hasn’t spoken a word. Nolan drives home the brutality of war, where Alex forgets that Gibson saved his life. Styles displays desperation with great feeling. Survival overcomes everything else. Styles rightfully deserves the approbation he has received for his acting debut from Nolan.
As the Royal Navy commandeers civilian boats for the evacuation, Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance), a civilian, takes it upon himself to rescue people at Dunkirk. He leaves with his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and their helper, George (Barry Keoghan). On their journey, they encounter a survivor of the U-boat attack (Cillian Murphy), and rescue him. Cillian Murphy delivers an outstanding performance as the “Shivering Soldier,” depicting the fragile state of mind of a man suffering from PTSD from the events at Dunkirk. Nolan effectively conveys how no one can escape such harrowing events without scars. The rescued man attempts to turn the ship around when he finds out Dawson is heading back towards the action. This results in a fight which severely injures George in the head. While Peter tries to treat George’s wounds, Dawson stands his ground as he continues on to Dunkirk to finish the mission he started.
In the air, three Royal Air Force Spitfires provide support to the operation across the English Channel, piloted by Farrier (Tom Hardy), Collins (Jack Lowden) and the Squadron Leader. They encounter German fighters, and the Squadron Leader is shot down in a dogfight. As Farrier takes control, the remaining two pilots continue to France. While Collins plunges into the sea, Farrier manages to land, but in enemy territory. Hardy’s brilliance as an actor comes through as he finely monitors every detail of the perilous flight. Maintaining his composure at every moment in the air, he succeeds in striking at German vessels, only to realize the inevitable when he lands. Setting his plane on fire, he raises his hands in surrender. With his face covered by a flight mask throughout, Hardy conveys the self-control of the quintessential RAF pilot through body language alone. Nolan’s poignant scene where Farrier is captured by Germans brings home the irony of war. Victory and defeat are inseparable.
The narratives cross paths when Alex, Tommy, Peter and Dawson find themselves together on a vessel. Nolan leads us to a conclusion showing men who have been evacuated and on their way back to England. Alex and Tommy continue on a train, arriving to a hero’s welcome. This is when Nolan pierces the hearts of the viewers with their reply: “All we did was survive,” to which they are told, “that was enough.” In a cathartic scene, Peter and Dawson see George’s name in the newspaper and know that his memory has been honoured.
Nolan as writer, producer and director has made courageous choices in direction with minimalistic dialogue and reliance on technique. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema brings the film alive with varying angles and mediums to capture the essence of Dunkirk. Working with large film format, unseen in today’s digital age, Nolan and Hoytema are successful in making it seem as if the audience is in the cockpit or in the ship.
Nolan teams up with Hans Zimmer once again to create a pulsating score. Nolan employs the use of an audio illusion known as the Shepard tone -- a musical illusion in which it seems that there is a continuous crescendo or decrescendo of a particular tone, however in reality it goes no higher or lower. This works in parallel to the three layers demonstrating a continual rise in intensity.
The temporal disorientation can be disturbing. Nolan tampers with time frames. Perhaps what is most confusing is the idea that each narrative spans over different time scales. “The Mole” spans a week, “The Sea” a day and “The Air” only an hour.
"Dunkirk" is not to be appreciated as a story for entertainment. Nolan has not romanticized war. What makes his film truly worth viewing is that he has given us a raw and moving interpretation of the events of Dunkirk.
