Dunkirk Changes the Game

“Dunkirk” isn’t your typical war movie, but it’s Christopher Nolan at his best. The movie tells the story of an early movement called “Operation Dynamo” during World War II that took place months after Germany invaded Poland. This also came just weeks after Hitler’s forces began rolling into the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

Watching this film in IMAX is sure to take your breath away. From the moment the opening scene begins you’re thrusted into the action. We’re watching soldiers trying to escape with their lives while everything around them is falling apart. And while the lack of dialogue or personality from each character makes it difficult to care, Nolan personalizes the film in a way that it feels like you’re put in the same situations of the soldiers onscreen.

“Dunkirk” focuses on the impact of the environment and the film is very clear by concentrating on the views of land, sea and air opposed to a specific character. The timeline becomes extremely organic to the film’s thorough emphasis on being in a very stressful environment where tragedy could happen at any moment. Intertwining the three perspectives of the Mole (one week), the sea (one day), and the air (one hour) and having them finish at the same moment together of climax together in a flurry of action is something only the brilliance of Christopher Nolan could accomplish.

Along with the timeline, Hans Zimmer’s genius orchestral builds at each peak of action and constant ticking that builds until the end of the film is what makes “Dunkirk” feel complete. There’s not a moment of silence until the ending scene which exercises Zimmer’s skills to the max. Any chance you think there is to catch your breath, you're surely mistaken by the next onslaught of sound.

There’s an art in having the ability to bring every aspect of a film together. With Nolan’s creative writing style paired with Zimmer’s talent of challenging sound the two were a seamless fit that allowed the film to have a life of its own.

Throughout the film we grasp the main theme is survival. That’s where “Dunkirk” draws the line between disaster and war. There’s no overwhelming “violence” that is typically associated with war film. That doesn't mean the film itself doesn’t overshadow its tragedy, but it does treat hope with subtlety and dignity.