Cinematic Point Of View

I watched Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk a few night ago on 4K Blu-ray. The picture and the sound were always incredible but it really knocked my socks off in 4K. (And I was wearing some super thick socks, man.) I haven’t stopped thinking about it ever sense.

The story. The visuals. The sounds. The storytelling structure. The soundtrack. Dunkirk is a special movie. It feels different in every way.

What would you even call it? It’s not exactly a war movie in the traditional sense. Maybe it’s more of a survival movie or a rescue movie that just happens to be set in a war.

However you classify it, in the grand scheme of Christopher Nolan films, it might just be my favorite right behind Interstellar.

Based on true events, the film follows the story of Allied forces, surrounded by the Germans, and forced to retreat to the beaches of Dunkirk. 400,000 soldiers waiting for a ride home. Sitting ducks.

The is a film about hope and the human spirit’s desire to live during the chaos of war. It’s a meditation on the brevity of life and death. The expectations of country and man.

The People

Over the course of the evacuation we follow multiple individuals on the land, in the air, and on the sea, as the try to survive and save lives. It is a story told through the moments in between.

Tommy (Fionn Whitehead): A young British soldier who will do whatever it takes to survive and make it home. He’s the “everyman.”

Gibson: A mysteriously silent soldier who join Tommy on journey of survival. A spy or maybe just another kid trying to get out alive?

Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance): a civilian father who uses his personal boat to help in the rescue efforts. He represents the past. Willing but unable to fight, he lost a child in the war. His determination to make a difference is fueled by grief.

George (Barry Keoghan): An eager and naive young boy who wants to do his part for the war. He joins Mr. Dawson, and Mr. Dawson’s other son Peter, in their boat rescue efforts.

Farrier (Tom Hardy): An Air Force pilot providing air cover for the evacuation. His story is one of sacrifice and heroism at all costs.

Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh): A high ranking naval officer who oversees the evacuation from the dock. He is determined to save as many lives as possible and will see it through to the very end.

So many lives hanging in the balance. Every little choice matters. Will the tide come in and return the boat to sea? Will there be enough time to get everyone on board? Will the plane’s fuel run out? Will an accidental injury lead to death?

The clock is ticking.

The Presentation

This is a film to be enjoyed slowly like a good meal. It’s methodical pacing gives you the chance to ponder and observe. It lets you really see that this isn’t just a battlefield but also a tourist location. A family beach. This isn’t just a soldier in the thick of battle but a kid running for his life down a suburban street.

Hoyte Van Hoytema‘s cinematography is breathtaking. I could watch endless hours of b-roll footage. Why is there so much beauty in these terrible moments? Sometimes, it takes facing death to full appreciate the beauty of life. Eyes wide open.

The sound design washes over you. The beating of waves against the hull of a ship or crashing ashore. Paper flyers drifting down from the sky. The whiplash crack of gunfire. All the while, Hans Zimmer‘s score is tick-tick-ticking away in the background reminding you that time is short.

If I could eat sights and sounds this would be my favorite dish. What does that even mean?? I think it means this film is nourishing on every level.

Dunkirk a cinematic masterpiece. It redefines what a war film can be. Watch it on the biggest screen with the best sound system you can find.