By George M. Thomas
 |
| Kenneth Branagh stars in Dunkirk. |
It’s
spectacular filmmaking without an emphasis on any one character. In the case of DUNKIRK, its story is the one
large character looming throughout with actors playing their roles without the
benefit of grandeur and long-winded speeches that sometimes typify what
audiences and filmmakers believe a war film to be.
Director
Christopher Nolan assumes the mission of telling the story of DUNKIRK, a World
War II battle that could have been epically disastrous for European Allied
forces. The result is stunning – breathtaking cinematography and the telling of
the story from multiple perspectives.
On
the ground, we watch as two soldiers in particular do almost anything they can
to survive the continued assault on them and their colleagues as they try to
evacuate DUNKIRK. Their experience
provides enough drama so that Nolan, who also wrote the script, doesn’t have to
provide it via artificial means.
Oscar
winner Mark Rylance (BRIDGE OF SPIES) brings to the forefront the tales of the
sea as he portrays Mr. Dawson, a dutiful British citizen answer the call for
civilians with boats to help ferry some of the 400,000 soldiers from DUNKIRK
via their vessels.
In
many ways, much of the drama and tension contained in within the film comes
from Dawson’s efforts. He brings his teen-age son and his friend along to aid
the mission and eventually they must contend with a shell shocked member of the
British forces (Cillian Murphy) who’s suffering through the ordeal.
Lastly,
in the air we’re provided the perspective of two British spitfire pilots Farrier
(Tom Hardy) and Collins (Jack Lowden) as they work together to try to prevent
German planes from picking off their brothers in arms.
Each
storyline offers something compelling in its own right, including performances.
From the air, maintaining steely resolve in the face of ridiculously bad odds. From the sea:
the sense of duty that comes from knowing your country is doing
something right. And from the land:
contending with the prospect of your own mortality when life has just begun for
you.
In
that regard in the manner which Nolan shot the film (different aspect ratios
depending on situation), DUNKIRK feels like several films within the movie, each
offering something unique while Nolan maintains its cohesion.
In
that regard, DUNKIRK is positively brilliant, but Nolan successfully plants us
in the middle of all of these tales to provide an immersive experience. The audience is on the ground or the cockpit
or the boat. More importantly, however, he allows us to experience the basic
humanity involved. Empathy may very well
be the greatest gift a filmmaker provides fans.
And
make no mistake, DUNKIRK, though a feast for the eyes, also proves to be a
soul-stirring masterpiece of filmmaking.
Details
Movie:
DUNKIRK
Cast:
Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance,
Kenneth Branagh
Directed
by: Christopher Nolan
Running
time: 1 hour 46 minutes
Rating:
PG-13 for intense war experience and some language
Stars:
Four-of-four
Spoiler Alert if you have not seen the film yet. We just saw Dunkirk and loved it. Wondering if anyone has comments about why the fighter pilot chose to change his mind about bailing out where he could have been saved by his mates at Dunkirk vs. landing where he could be captured.
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