The Immersive Experience of “Dunkirk”
By Allison Perelman
Grade for “Dunkirk”: A+
“Dunkirk” (2017) focuses on the attempts to rescue trapped British soldiers from the French beach of Dunkirk. The story is told in three intertwining timelines: soldiers trying to survive on land, a civilian boat making its way across the channel to help in the evacuation, and fighter pilots providing air support. The film tells truths about war in a fairly accurate way, and is an enjoyable feat of cinema.
Christopher Nolan went to great lengths for accuracy in production. On-location filming took place at Dunkirk with authentic planes and several civilian boats that were used in the real evacuation. While young, unknown actors were astutely chosen to play the young and inexperienced soldiers, there is an inaccurate depiction of diversity. Interactions with French, Scottish, and Dutch soldiers are included, but Indian soldiers are nowhere to be seen. This lack of representation, especially in 2017, is somewhat damning for Nolan. However, those men were a small percentage of the hundreds of thousands; and this hiccup in historical accuracy doesn’t take away from the story being told.
The production design — limited use of CGI in favor of using actual effects — cinematography, and score/sound mixing make for an immersive experience. They capture the chaos of war. The fact that we barely know any of the characters’ names and many of them look similar also adds realism and transference. The soldiers don’t care about each others’ names or backstories because they’re all simply trying to live. Viewers don’t need to know either because these boys could be, and historically were, anyone. It doesn’t matter who they are, the cinematic elements and universal war narrative allows us to care for them and feel what they do.
Nolan brings a sophistication and intelligence, in only a way he could, to a genre that had become easy and predictable. The three timelines make us think about how each experience contributes to the film and history. The enemy is not seen but heard throughout because the true enemy, in any battle, is time. The aforementioned cinematic elements create suspense, anxiety, and confusion that are a part of the portrayal of war.
“Dunkirk” is powerful without a sense of triumph. While there is some celebration of soldiers’ survival, the film largely depicts the the non-victorious side of war. It is trauma and death, and the consequences of hard decisions. Alex (Harry Styles) embraces the warm welcome home, but it is evident in the final shots — of Farrier (Tom Hardy) being captured, and Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) seated on the train — that there is no outward pride, and uncertainty still lies.
Alison Perelman is a senior majoring in Media Journalism and Film and American Studies.