Dunkirk
Warner Bros. | Release Date: July 21, 2017
8.2
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 3245 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
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2,732
Mixed:
292
Negative:
221
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9
CubscouterAug 27, 2017
Very sharp intro, straight into action; love the use of the Shepard tone in the soundtrack. The intensity of this film makes it exciting to watch. All in all, good war film.
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9
youngbloodhawkeSep 6, 2017
Dunkirk was excellent. Few dull moments and enjoyed the development of several character storylines. Fantastic imagery and fighting scenes (or bracing to be attacked scenes) which hit home to the randomness of war.
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9
evansideasSep 11, 2017
Nolan surprised me with this one, alike in the way with Memento. Timeline plays to his favor, and the story is beautiful. Writing, style, and directing plays to the favor of this film. While the switch between stories may confusing to theNolan surprised me with this one, alike in the way with Memento. Timeline plays to his favor, and the story is beautiful. Writing, style, and directing plays to the favor of this film. While the switch between stories may confusing to the audience, it merits talent in squeezing a long film into a cinema timeframe.… Expand
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9
PrettyGoodSep 13, 2017
The best movie of the year, so far. A true masterpiece. The cinematography, the sound and the different stories give you a suspenseful and powerful take on WW2. Despite lack of character, the movie is relatable, you feel present, you'reThe best movie of the year, so far. A true masterpiece. The cinematography, the sound and the different stories give you a suspenseful and powerful take on WW2. Despite lack of character, the movie is relatable, you feel present, you're compassionate with the soldiers. Watching it in a movie theater is a unique experience.… Expand
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9
Humble_BragSep 22, 2017
The movie is solely about the event. It's realistic and genuine in its attempt to really capture the horror and desperation the characters go through. This is a war movie, not an explosive extravaganza, so don't expect giant spectacle.
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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9
danielblakerevsDec 9, 2017
Getting ready to watch Christopher Nolan's war epic, I was bracing myself for total suspense. And boy, did the movie deliver. Yet, it is not the suspense which captured me the most. By the end, I went through pretty much all emotionsGetting ready to watch Christopher Nolan's war epic, I was bracing myself for total suspense. And boy, did the movie deliver. Yet, it is not the suspense which captured me the most. By the end, I went through pretty much all emotions conceivable to mankind. In one word, "Dunkirk" is a moment... simple as that. It does not contain moments of suspense, but rather it IS a moment of suspense gradually building and becoming more and more difficult and excruciating to watch (NOT IN A BAD WAY OF COURSE!) What really sets it apart is its ability to invoke the most primordial of human emotions. As it progresses these get more powerful, compelling the characters and the viewers. These emotions become so intense that the movie borders on horror. It is absolutely masterful, brilliant and yet, ridiculous but at the same time so real. Yes, the power of this movie does not stand only in the emotions it conveys but also in their rawness which is emphasized by exquisite production values, outstanding direction from Nolan and minimalist dialogue. The classic method of speech takes a back-step here, as the entire power of the movie is expressed through actions and, Hans Zimmer's haunting score. It permeates through every scene, literally from the start of the movie, to the very end! In the end, through masterful levels of production and Nolan's characteristic insistence on polished visual and auditory bravado, "Dunkirk" stands proud atop his very best work, maybe second only to his 2008 superhero action flick, "The Dark Knight".… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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9
soydansilvaOct 25, 2017
a chaotic, unforgiving and exciting film. one of the most captivating films you'll see this year. an intense non-linear journey, and a cinematic event that you should not miss.
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9
gtwistNov 26, 2017
Dunkirk is devoid of really any real characters, or character development. However, Christopher Nolan has done this deliberately. There were thousands of soldiers on the battlefield. Dunkirk never gives you that moment to examine a character.Dunkirk is devoid of really any real characters, or character development. However, Christopher Nolan has done this deliberately. There were thousands of soldiers on the battlefield. Dunkirk never gives you that moment to examine a character. Like what a character would do when he goes back home, or something cliche like that. This movie is always moving, and I was always on the edge of my seat. Christopher Nolan has yet again made a brilliant movie with amazing cinematography and sound editing.… Expand
0 of 4 users found this helpful04
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9
FlaviusAetiusNov 22, 2017
One of the best films of the year. Flaws pointed out by critics, such as the lack of dialogue or character progression, actually play to Dunkirk's strengths. The intensity of the moment feels more realistic when a pilot is just a pilot and aOne of the best films of the year. Flaws pointed out by critics, such as the lack of dialogue or character progression, actually play to Dunkirk's strengths. The intensity of the moment feels more realistic when a pilot is just a pilot and a soldier is just a soldier.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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9
Easycw44Nov 25, 2017
Christopher Nolan has once again made a great movie, without much dialogue, he captures the essence of desperation, horror, and excitement. For anyone that is a history fan, it doesn't provide much for dialogue, more of a visual & visceralChristopher Nolan has once again made a great movie, without much dialogue, he captures the essence of desperation, horror, and excitement. For anyone that is a history fan, it doesn't provide much for dialogue, more of a visual & visceral experience of what it must have been like to have participated in those harrowing days. Kudos… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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9
JKHReviewsDec 29, 2017
Another great summer blockbuster with little to no plot...

Is what an idiot would say. Nolan has brought us back to the screen with his film 'Dunkirk' based on the disaster that occurred in Dunkirk during WWII, known as the largest militaryAnother great summer blockbuster with little to no plot...

Is what an idiot would say. Nolan has brought us back to the screen with his film 'Dunkirk' based on the disaster that occurred in Dunkirk during WWII, known as the largest military evacuation operation. This film was beautiful, stunning and mature in the sense that it shows us not the horror of war, but the fear. Truly teaching us the feelings of each and everyone of those young soldiers on the battlefield through it's amazing cinematography, creatively fitting score by Hans Zimmer and the films lack of dialogue. It's a film to sit down, enjoy, and leave the cinema without saying a word, trying to process the events. Truly a Nolan film.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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9
hugolonbDec 17, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When watching a war movie, you usually get moments of stillness. Moments of soldiers telling other soldiers, through exposition dialogue, about their life back home. This movie has NONE of that. It's nail biting war from start to finish, and it is incredible. It truly is just about war. War is the main character. I have never seen a movie (I am counting Saving Private Ryan) that made me feel more like I'm actually there. Tom Hardy is fantastic in the movie, as well as Kenneth Branagh. The movie uses real planes, real boats, real beaches and real explosions. That is why Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest visual directors of our time, because he is fearless. So many current directors would not have done that. I was a bit afraid in the build up to this movie that boy band phenomena Harry Styles would ruin this movie with a lot of sub par acting, that it would be obvious he got the role not through Nolan but through the studio wanting a star name on the poster. But for one he isn't in the movie as much as the promotional content would have you believe, and he actually isn't a bad actor. Overall, this movie was beautiful, moving and truly, truly exciting. For me, this ranks amongst Nolans best work, and if it doesn't at least get nominated for Best Picture I will give up on the Academy.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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9
kiankFeb 17, 2018
Dunkirk is a really good movie. I loved the way how all the pathways of all the different characters interconnected at the end. It is also really pretty and just really well done. One of the best war movies I've seen. My one complaint isDunkirk is a really good movie. I loved the way how all the pathways of all the different characters interconnected at the end. It is also really pretty and just really well done. One of the best war movies I've seen. My one complaint is that all the soldiers looked the same and I couldn't tell them apart. Overall, I'd give it a 8.8.… Expand
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9
samermaty15Jan 1, 2018
Absolutely best film of this year , Christopher nolan by his unique vision made a movie that could show you what the real war is ,Amazing cinematography with magnificent orignal score by hans zimmer made this film one of christopher nolanAbsolutely best film of this year , Christopher nolan by his unique vision made a movie that could show you what the real war is ,Amazing cinematography with magnificent orignal score by hans zimmer made this film one of christopher nolan masterpieces.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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9
amheretojudgeAug 25, 2019
Masked or unmasked, I love the idea of a higher power looking out for us, and this time he has no humor.

Dunkirk Why do we end up here? Always? Revisiting the dreadful history. That we started, ended, celebrated and mourned for. It cannotMasked or unmasked, I love the idea of a higher power looking out for us, and this time he has no humor.

Dunkirk

Why do we end up here? Always? Revisiting the dreadful history. That we started, ended, celebrated and mourned for. It cannot just be a "quick" recall. And it shouldn't be that. I may not know the real pulp behind all this passion and necessity but Christopher Nolan, the writer and director, surely tells you, it shouldn't just be a recall. Quick one, surely compared to his other films, but more than an experience and a moral lesson. Poem, it sings and poetic is its run. To me the film felt like a marathon. A sprint, to be precise. "The mole" tries to run away from the enemy, the air support towards the enemy but the real heroes, the common man, are kept in hault.

Mid way. They are stretched and strained from the responsibilities of both the kind, the personal and towards the nation. And that is exactly how Nolan pitches this incredibly noble deed by these brave hearts in one lap. Setting the parameters, he never breaks any boundaries for obvious reasons, but hovers very close to the red zone marked in this film. And that is another way how he elevates a most simplistic act or a decision that lives up to the clean soundtrack of Hans Zimmer.

The same year, Steven Spielberg's The Post released which dealt with the similar highly tensed close up shots. But the tension never communicates for no one actually points out or marginalizes the "normal" behavior. And in here, Nolan keeps Cilian Murphy to strike fear, a simple meter to explain the stakes of Tom Hardy and a know-it-all Harry Styles to guide Fionn Whitehead. Dunkirk is still at the end of the day comes under the catalogue of Nolan's filmography. He cannot help but whisper secrets if he can in a storyline, I mean he even packs a humorous punch as a big reveal for that scene.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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9
merijnjFeb 21, 2018
(93/100)
A new approach to a war movie that pays of when everyting comes together.
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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9
sidneyrosehornFeb 26, 2018
beautiful film and highly recommended! All the acting is excellent. My only issue is that sometimes the background noise can be a little loud. Best viewed on a large TV or in the movie theatre
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9
AndrewBurgeMay 30, 2018
Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' is a moment. Unlike most films, which take a procedural and mostly linear structured manner of development, 'Dunkirk' is one singular super-set-piece comprised of a handful of others. And because of this, itChristopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' is a moment. Unlike most films, which take a procedural and mostly linear structured manner of development, 'Dunkirk' is one singular super-set-piece comprised of a handful of others. And because of this, it holds itself together like a meticulously and carefully crafted puzzle, almost like the inner workings of a Swiss watch.

The story revolves around the Dunkirk Evacuation during the early years of World War II when the entire British Army was pushed back to the beaches of Northern France and were nearly wiped out. Usually, when filmmakers present a historical event, they tend to focus on a handful of characters which come with their own personal baggage. And while this film has these elements, like two soldiers aiming to escape (Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles) a civilian boat coming to the rescue manned by father and son (Mark Rylance and Tom Glynn-Carney) and two RAF pilots in the air struggling to help (Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden), Nolan does not focus on them more than it is necessary for the viewer, giving them minimalist dialogue making them a representation of their entire categories. This is what makes this film special. Nolan understands the art of film. He realizes that movies are not necessarily about people. They can be about whatever you feel. It is the most liberating art form and the most powerful and advanced.

That being said, while these characters are not given a lot of focus, somehow, in their brief moments they manage to shock, inspire and touch us through efficient screenwriting and perfect pacing. Overall, though it is Nolan's apocalyptic approach to the event which truly captures the viewer. You might argue that his films are over-produced, never giving you a moment to breathe, being always on the edge, and I actually agree! But there is something paradoxical in his over-the-top approach, especially here, where Nolan brings his best and worst tendencies to bare.

Nolan's approach here is presented through mostly panoramic views brilliantly executed by Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography. The greatest result here is the way it creates an engulfing state of fear and despair without ever showing us the enemy properly, almost as if to present them as untouchable and invisible gods which would send their cataclysmic wrath in the forms of aerial bombardments.

So, if someone were to ask me if this I think this film was flawless, I would say no. It is over-produced, highly saturated and the soundtrack is constantly booming in your head. Yet it is the presence of all these elements together, what makes this film the best of 2017. Only a film mathematician like Christopher Nolan could fuse these flawed concepts into one perfectly crafted and polished moment.… Expand
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9
GrantD243Apr 25, 2018
I'm convinced that Christopher Nolan is one of the only directors working today that could pull off making a film like Dunkirk. Centered around an event during WW2 that not a whole lot of people know about, sparse dialogue, extensive actionI'm convinced that Christopher Nolan is one of the only directors working today that could pull off making a film like Dunkirk. Centered around an event during WW2 that not a whole lot of people know about, sparse dialogue, extensive action scenes/cinematic shots, and no true main character–but it all comes together to tell an incredible story? Yeah, you're gonna need someone like Nolan for that kind of film. And, boy, he delivers. The visuals are stunning, the dialogue is precise, and there is character development (which is one of the main complaints I've seen about this film). A film doesn't have to have loads of dialogue to develop its characters, and it doesn't have to focus on one character. Dunkirk uses primarily action for character development, with dialogue as a secondary device. And no, we're not meant to care about one character in particular, we're meant to care about all of the characters as a group. All of that aside, Dunkirk also just has a great story to it. The idea of essentially being stranded on a beach, surrounded, constantly bombarded by bombs, with no real hope for a successful rescue is truly maddening. I can't imagine what the soldiers felt like after going through all of that, but at least we get to see their story. Will Dunkirk do down as one of the best war films ever? Probably not. But I think it should.… Expand
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9
filmcapsMay 9, 2018
i get what nolan was trying to do with not giving the characters any story and back story but still made the movie feel empty. but it is still a visual storytelling masterpiece and a groundbreaking film. classic nolan
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9
NerdHausMay 28, 2018
Unlike any war movie I have ever seen. Beautifully shot and great story telling.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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9
YungKangJun 18, 2018
A sweeping film of technical virtuosity and dazzling cinematography. A must-see war film.
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9
rafathefelixJul 8, 2018
Na Operação Dínamo, mais conhecida como a Evacuação de Dunquerque, soldados aliados da Bélgica, do Império Britânico e da França são rodeados pelo exército alemão e devem ser resgatados durante uma feroz batalha no início da Segunda GuerraNa Operação Dínamo, mais conhecida como a Evacuação de Dunquerque, soldados aliados da Bélgica, do Império Britânico e da França são rodeados pelo exército alemão e devem ser resgatados durante uma feroz batalha no início da Segunda Guerra Mundial. A história acompanha três momentos distintos: uma hora de confronto no céu, onde o piloto Farrier (Tom Hardy) precisa destruir um avião inimigo, um dia inteiro em alto mar, onde o civil britânico Dawson (Mark Rylance) leva seu barco de passeio para ajudar a resgatar o exército de seu país, e uma semana na praia, onde o jovem soldado Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) busca escapar a qualquer preço.… Expand
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9
natedeugJul 25, 2018
The three different stories told simultaneously culminate in a stressful and effective ending. Unlike any other war movie I've seen. Another excellent film from Christopher Nolan.
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9
EgeBerkAug 17, 2018
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Inspired by a true story.I've watched a lot of war movies before and dunkirk is definitely one of the top 5 war movies that really impressed me.

Why is it so ridiculous or bad for me in the movie why the frenches stay behind when the English get away.
it is said to be very wrong there are more than 300.000 troops there rather than being open target on the beach is a little better than resistance.
this is not like movie criticism. If it is so in history, of course they can not change it, but it hurts me to hunt into clear target.


the movie goes on at different time intervals and shows us the events with different eyes, for example we see the fall of a plane both in the eyes of the pilot and also in the eyes of the person using the boat below.war scenes, and even the entire backdrop of the movie, the music that was playing was beautiful, it was full of thrill hits, the battle scenes were pretty realistic, you feel like in the war and you witness those difficulties.

the war is so bad we once again saw it.

I do not know if they are English loves or hate I obviously did not know that they would leave the frenches but in the last stages they helped the soldiers of the people to emigrate them to save them from the beach.


My favorite scene is Kenneth Branagh saying It is home and the appearance of the boats on the horizon,I can watch this scene many times.our french child, so gibson was freed from all accusations that he was very sorry for his death, but having a very good heart caused his death.


the scenes of battle planes deserve to be nominated until the end of a truly oscar's movie that needs to be appreciated.If he had won, nobody said he did not deserve it.

a movie that has already been shot on a beautiful story
BRAVO.… Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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9
clarkaddisonJan 6, 2019
Christopher Nolan flexes on us again with this masterpiece. This film is about the Dunkirk evacuation and I could not get over how great it looked, sounded, and felt in the theater. This is a great war film that doesn`t need to be a gore festChristopher Nolan flexes on us again with this masterpiece. This film is about the Dunkirk evacuation and I could not get over how great it looked, sounded, and felt in the theater. This is a great war film that doesn`t need to be a gore fest to be good.… Expand
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9
Kirollos-NoahNov 29, 2018
Dunkirk is directed and written by Christopher Nolan, and starring Fionn Whitehead, Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard and more and more of an amazing cast.

Acclaimed auteur Christopher Nolan directs this World War II thriller about theDunkirk is directed and written by Christopher Nolan, and starring Fionn Whitehead, Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard and more and more of an amazing cast.

Acclaimed auteur Christopher Nolan directs this World War II thriller about the evacuation of Allied troops from the French city of Dunkirk before Nazi forces can take hold. Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance co-star, with longtime Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer providing the score.

Dunkirk presents great performances to keep you in the moment, amazing direction to hook your breath, not relying on CGI for your eye-comfort and a great score to make you excited!

The movie from the start to the end is just about the battle of Dunkirk, without a very hooking story, but still one of the best war movies.. especially Christopher Nolan who turned a very simple idea to an amazing and surprising work.

The first time I heard about this movie, I thought that it's gonna be a normal war movie, like battle and fighting, I didn't expect it to be about evacuation. When I knew that it's about the evacuation I wasn't excited to watch it, then I watched the VR experience, so I knew then that this movie's gonna have a great presentation, so I watched it, and I loved it!

I'm not saying it's perfect, but it was very close to be the greatest war movie, if it just had these moments to get close to the characters, to feel their pain of leaving their life behind for the war, it could have been perfect.

So I'm not gonna give it my perfect grade, but I'm gonna give it an A! I think it's an amazing movie, which is gonna live for so many years.

alright, guys, thank you as always for reading my review, let me know if you like my reviews or not, and I welcome all the comments.… Expand
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9
FeudDec 7, 2018
One of Nolan's best movies in my opinion. It is a beautiful looking movie that feels more real than any other war movie I have seen. It is a movie that cuts all the cliche parts of war movies and goes for a movie focussed on the war ratherOne of Nolan's best movies in my opinion. It is a beautiful looking movie that feels more real than any other war movie I have seen. It is a movie that cuts all the cliche parts of war movies and goes for a movie focussed on the war rather than it's characters. This may be a turnoff for some people but I found it to be a breath of fresh air. I was expecting this movie to be way worse on a smaller screen but it still was amazing, but i definitely recommend seeing it on the biggest screen you can find. The music helps this movie feel tense the whole way through and that's a hard thing to accomplish.
In short: The movie is a technical masterpiece.
The technical aspects aside, this movie has some amazing acting and a really great way of telling a story which makes you that much more interested in the movie.… Expand
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9
vusal_iskandarMar 10, 2020
Yeah.. One more film about WWII, but in a different way that I liked! It was not a very special one but also not an ordinary one. What I liked about this masterful visual storytelling film, is a connection of events happening in the differentYeah.. One more film about WWII, but in a different way that I liked! It was not a very special one but also not an ordinary one. What I liked about this masterful visual storytelling film, is a connection of events happening in the different times and different places. Director made it perfectly suitable to each other. It's gripping, perilous and uniquely envisioned! Liked that one!… Expand
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9
LOTHRICFeb 15, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. فكرة الفيلم وطريقة ربط الأحداث وتصويرها مبدعة للغاية مع أداء عالي للبطل المخفي توم هاردي ومشاهد ملحمية جميلة....… Expand
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9
Danielos37Jun 21, 2020
Es una obra digna de admiracion, el arte de la peliicula y la fotografia esta muy bien lograda, no le doy un 10 ya que al inicio de la peliculame me siento un poco desorientado de la trama argumental, mas sin embargo mientras se vaEs una obra digna de admiracion, el arte de la peliicula y la fotografia esta muy bien lograda, no le doy un 10 ya que al inicio de la peliculame me siento un poco desorientado de la trama argumental, mas sin embargo mientras se va desarrollando todo toma sentido, magnifico por Nolan y la musica de Zimmer como siempre sublime… Expand
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9
gamingmachineryJul 14, 2020
No review present. No review present. No review present. No review present.
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9
BabaRoogaNov 2, 2022
Really amazing WW2 movie, I would recommend it to everyone, even if you don't like "war movies".
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9
HappyliveMay 7, 2022
çok az diyalog ile geniş açılı sahneler çekerek çaresizlik korku endişe gibi duyguları muhteşem harmanlayan başyapıttır.
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9
joboxrno1Jul 3, 2022
Great Movie all around. Worth your time. Inspiring story about war and humanity
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8
DirigiblePulpSep 28, 2017
This is a hard movie to love, at least at first. I appreciate what Nolan did with the overlapping storylines and the nonlinear storytelling, revealing time and perspective to be all-together subjective. I'm just not sure it always works fromThis is a hard movie to love, at least at first. I appreciate what Nolan did with the overlapping storylines and the nonlinear storytelling, revealing time and perspective to be all-together subjective. I'm just not sure it always works from a pure storytelling point of view. What is achieved is non-stop intensity, but at the expense of character, story and a bigger picture. The chaos of war has never been clearer but at what cost.

I found myself appreciating the ways in which each storyline overlapped and how that changed the perspective of the whole thing more than I did actually watching the film. Maybe it's something that will be rectified with time and more reflection. And this isn't to say the movie doesn't work, because it does and it never stops compelling and drawing in your interest, your mind, and your emotions.

Not up for debate however is the stunning majesty of this film. 70mm Imax at the Grand Canyon two days in a row and it was a visual feast like I've almost never experience before. The trailers leading up to the film looked good and all but then suddenly it was like someone opened a six story window into another world - it was that clear and that dramatic the increase in quality of the picture. Picture quality isn't supposed to get better when it gets bigger, especially this big, and yet there I was experiencing it. Let's hope we don't ever lose this.… Expand
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8
tonyGreenJan 29, 2020
Economical, visceral and very real. And starkly beautiful. Zimmer's soundtrack is perfectly cold and brooding, and the cinematography is very good.
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8
djniceyJul 24, 2017
Its massively over-rated by the critics. That said it is a very good movie, just not the masterpiece of cinema that it is purported to be by some.

The story is epic and is well scripted and very moving, it makes you really appreciate howIts massively over-rated by the critics. That said it is a very good movie, just not the masterpiece of cinema that it is purported to be by some.

The story is epic and is well scripted and very moving, it makes you really appreciate how lucky we are to live in this day and age and how differently people had it a short while ago. The action sequences are taut and enjoyable, the story is believable throughout and the characterisation is very good, there aren't any over the top superhero type characters, just ordinary people being thrown into extraordinary circumstances.

It does however have something missing that makes it miss the mark, it didn't live up to expectations for me, maybe I was expecting a Forest Gump or some unique quality to set it apart from the multitude of other war movies. In years to come I don't think this will be seen as a classic.

The sound was also horrible in some places, I say sound rather than music as it is just horrible wailing noises over and over and over, its done to increase the tension but it didn't work for me, by the end of the movie it had become very overused and a distraction more than anything else. Great film, everyone should watch it to appreciate how lucky we are, but not a Classic IMHO.… Expand
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8
SchroederRockJul 31, 2017
Dunkirk is loud, varied/dynamic and epic. I had high expectations going in and the movie didn't disappoint. The story of Dunkirk and the British fleet being stranded on a beach just a short ways from English shores is quite a tale. NolanDunkirk is loud, varied/dynamic and epic. I had high expectations going in and the movie didn't disappoint. The story of Dunkirk and the British fleet being stranded on a beach just a short ways from English shores is quite a tale. Nolan tells the tale with his usual creative approach - layering 3 story-lines that fit together like pieces of a puzzle, which will connect in its final minutes. That won't make you go "a-ha!" like some of Nolan's other work but it will help fuse together the events and characters a little better. The clever approach of telling 3 stories that cover land, air and sea is interesting to think back on but it's also not essential for audiences to catch. It's all one event and it's explored with excellence in most cases.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with the movie is the lack of character background. That doesn't take away from the movie as-is but I felt less attached to the characters because of that. Without throwing any spoilers into the mix, it kind of helps throw one of the only plot twists into the mix but prevented me and those that I saw the movie with from walking away thinking this was a 10/10 film. It's worth a theater visit for sure, I just think Nolan missed an opportunity to add another layer here and make this movie a no-brainer for lots of Academy Awards for next year. The music and sound effects are intense. Zimmer and his associates here find ways to leverage intense moments with a crescendo of sound and music mix. Often, I found myself tensing up as the music or effects built up - the same approach used in The Dark Knight.

I will note that there was an article I read that said the lack of character backstory is intentional to help the audience feel more immersed in the events as if they were there experiencing it, however interesting characters tend to be a primary driver in taking a movie from good to great and Dunkirk pumps the brakes perhaps a little too much in that department for my preferred taste. Anyways, go see it!… Expand
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8
TVJerryJul 25, 2017
This film revolves around a single event: the evacuation of British and Allied troops from the beach at Dunkirk during WWII. It happens in a mashup of 3 time spans: a week on the beach, a day on the English Channel and an hour in the sky.This film revolves around a single event: the evacuation of British and Allied troops from the beach at Dunkirk during WWII. It happens in a mashup of 3 time spans: a week on the beach, a day on the English Channel and an hour in the sky. This unique approach usually makes sense, but is rendered slightly confusing by the dialogue, which is often hard to decipher (the accents and the music mix). Still, director Christopher Nolan has crafted a masterpiece of epic cinema with a continually tense undertone. Several POVs provide the human angle, but it's less about personal endurance and more about desperate survival. The action scenes are less explicitly violent than "Saving Private Ryan" or "Hacksaw Ridge," but still manage to create cringeworthy moments. An enthralling approach to telling a war story.… Expand
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8
TheQuietGamerFeb 15, 2018
Harrowing. Christopher Nolan's war film is not about big, bloody battles. Dunkirk's story takes place from several different perspectives. Cutoff and stranded, the British and French soldiers are just doing what they can to survive as theHarrowing. Christopher Nolan's war film is not about big, bloody battles. Dunkirk's story takes place from several different perspectives. Cutoff and stranded, the British and French soldiers are just doing what they can to survive as the Nazi's repeated attacks continue to reduce their numbers and moral as escape attempts are thwarted left and right. We will witness events from the eyes of those trying to leave Dunkirk and those trying to reach it in order to help, all primarily from the British viewpoint. An exquisitely beautiful film, Dunkirk surprised me by just how well it was able to convey the feelings of desperation the characters have without much spoken dialog. The tone is sad and even hopeless. Yet, things are never bleak enough to make it come off as a depressing experience a la The Road. No matter how brutal the setbacks are there's an undercurrent of light running throughout the film that keeps things from bringing the viewers down with a sense of all hope being lost for those onscreen. The ending is incredibly emotional, and not just for those with a soft spot for the military. These are more than just soldiers doing what is required of them. They are real people just trying to make it home or want to help. It's not just duty; it's humanity.

I found a slight, but fairly significant issue with how the narrative was presented. It's not entirely linear. There's a section in the latter half of the film where it will recap back to earlier events so that we may experience it from a different character. The time gap in between when we first witnessed it from a different perspective to when we make the leap back is so big it threw me off for a minute in regards to the timeline of events. I honestly can't think of a reason why Nolan didn't play it linearly outside of artistic/stylistic reasons. Personally, I think the choice hurt the flow of the movie.

Dunkirk is an impressive WWII movie that relies on it's characters and situation to portray the intensity of the war without relying on Nazi gunfire. In fact, we never actually see a Nazi onscreen. Some of their planes, yeah, but there isn't a traditional battle sequence to be found. None of the movie's power has been lost in taking this approach. Something that speaks well of the director's immense talent. It's a gripping film that will have you caring about characters before you even really hear them speak. Never before has such an awful situation made for such a beautiful watch.

8.1/10… Expand
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8
drlowdonJul 30, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dunkirk tells the true story of the famous events in which hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers were evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk and saved from capture or death at the hands of the invading German troops. Director Christopher Nolan has a stellar of history of creating intelligent big budget “summer blockbuster” movies (The Dark Knight and Inception being two prime examples) and he delivers again with Dunkirk. There is no shortage of action on land, at sea or in the air but Nolan’s now signature style of playing around with the chronology of scenes weaves the story into a web that continually ramps up the tension to a fitting climax.… Expand
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8
TyranianApr 12, 2019
Nolan is proving himself one of the great directors with another excellent film. Use of sound is incredible.
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8
dharmaAug 7, 2017
A master at the peak of his career, Christoper Nolan utilizes his influence to create a relatively 'unusual' (i.e. reality based) blockbuster. Essentially an Imax showcase, it pulls out all sort of tricks that Nolan has learned throughoutA master at the peak of his career, Christoper Nolan utilizes his influence to create a relatively 'unusual' (i.e. reality based) blockbuster. Essentially an Imax showcase, it pulls out all sort of tricks that Nolan has learned throughout the years: large scale set pieces, both land and aerial, filmed in glorious IMAX. Too bad that at times, the film lost a bit of its intensity, simply because of its simple narrative (despite being told in Nolan's typical non linear style. This will be a big contender for all the technical Oscars in 2018.… Expand
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8
imthenoobJul 26, 2017
From the opening scene alone, My heart was pounding and I was on the edge of my seat. This is the emotion that I managed to hold through out the entire movie. Dunkirk totally captured my interest and everything else just kind of faded away.From the opening scene alone, My heart was pounding and I was on the edge of my seat. This is the emotion that I managed to hold through out the entire movie. Dunkirk totally captured my interest and everything else just kind of faded away. The way that Nolan told a story with so very few spoken words, Capturing the broad spectrum of emotion that these soldiers went through on the beaches of Dunkirk. It's absolutely mesmerizing. If he doesn't win the oscars for best director and picture, I'll stop watching them.… Expand
7 of 17 users found this helpful710
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8
sanyrubDec 31, 2017
We could say the film gives us one of the most brilliant thecnical spectacles we have ever seen. The film is a 10 in that regard. Stunning cinematography. Hanns Zimmer does it again with the score too. The guy is something else. And then...We could say the film gives us one of the most brilliant thecnical spectacles we have ever seen. The film is a 10 in that regard. Stunning cinematography. Hanns Zimmer does it again with the score too. The guy is something else. And then... there´s a but: there is no story (almost). It´s definitely not a flaw because it´s obvious that´s what Nolan went for this go around. But it makes it not have emotional punch, like Interstellar, Inception and other of his films have a plenty. Despite that, the film is not boring by any means, which says a lot about its quality. Deserves all the nominations it is gettings. But I would only give it the technical awards.… Expand
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8
NathonasAug 18, 2017
Solid war movie. I think its biggest weakness is the difficulty of combining the three perspectives into one coherent storyline, and the lack of a central character.
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8
temptershellSep 17, 2017
Film about war in anti-war climate. Showing the tragedy of the war and all of this conflict of turmoil went out to Nolan excellently only in my case I did not buy it. Practically no soundtrack and tiring, long scenes with panoramas orFilm about war in anti-war climate. Showing the tragedy of the war and all of this conflict of turmoil went out to Nolan excellently only in my case I did not buy it. Practically no soundtrack and tiring, long scenes with panoramas or sequences of military conflict just bore me. The film is worth attention but unfortunately it is not my climate.… Expand
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8
poewilsonSep 30, 2017
The P.H. Metric 82/100

Directing: 9/10 The directing takes a hit, not because of Nolan’s efforts, but because of the script supervisor who I place in the directing section. Within the opening bombing of the film, (aside from PG-13ingThe P.H. Metric 82/100

Directing: 9/10

The directing takes a hit, not because of Nolan’s efforts, but because of the script supervisor who I place in the directing section. Within the opening bombing of the film, (aside from PG-13ing something that should have been utterly horrific) the beach that was just blasted with several bombs does not seem to have taken a strike in any form. The men laying on the ground have no blasts sites near them or anything of that nature and this same issue reappears through out the film.

As for Nolan from the moment we hit the beach and you see that shot taken of those two wooden pillars you can feel the influence of silent era films, which gives Dunkirk a completely different delivery to 99% of the other war films out there.

Acting: 6/10

Due to the film be shot in the vein of a silent film the acting did not need to be perfect and the sheer lack of dialogue presented Nolan with the chance to cast near unknowns which added to the depth of the film and the soldiers naivete, however what little acting was on display did not amount to any grand gesture of the art, but instead more akin to Bicycle Thieves.

Cinematography: 9/10

Superb, not Lubezeki great, but excellent none the less (also I should divulge I am a huge Cinematography nerd) I have been a fan of Hoytema’s work since Låt den rätte komma in and he continues to impress with some of his most exquisite work to date.

Editing 9/10

Superb, couple of shots that did not quite gel as well as they should but ultimately the editing is on point and delivers action in just the right manner.

Score: 10/10

Hans Zimmer’s score is pulse pounding and on point in every frame of the film, from start to finish it will leave you a sense dread that the film itself never truly captilaises on, but that is in no way the fault of Zimmer. Nolan’s use of the Shepard tone was brilliant and really gives life to the piece.

Visual Effects: 9/10

Are stunning and capture the world perfectly, but this like many of Nolan’s other films are due to his love of practical effects and I tend to agree if they are done correctly, you get a better quality image that does not age near as horribly.

Writing: 5/10

The film takes a heavy hit in terms of the writing, what with the script running a lean 76 pages. I can appreciate the improvised nature Nolan was trying to create, as war is chaos and there are no heroes spewing golden lines of perfection, however the lines that were on display were unrelentingly movie-esque to the point that the sense of realism that he was trying to portray with the improvisation gets washed away in a sea tropes.

Production Design 8/10

Again only for the pedantic but there are host of anachronisms that plague the film and several shots with buildings that should not be there, that really feel like production design and costume design issues.

Costume Design 8/10

Again only for the pedantic but there are host of anachronisms that plague the film and several shots with buildings that should not be there, that really feel like production design and costume design issues.

Make-up/Hairstyle 9/10

Make-up had an easy run on this film when compared to many modern war films, but for what they did contribute they did a great job. No awards obviously, but they came out and made sure that everything looked decent.… Expand
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8
43in2014Jul 21, 2017
The short review: It has many tense moments, all enchanced by great sound effects and a great Hans Zimmer soundtrack, but the film is too slow, has insufficient number of events and has an unsuccessful Momento(another Nolan film)-likeThe short review: It has many tense moments, all enchanced by great sound effects and a great Hans Zimmer soundtrack, but the film is too slow, has insufficient number of events and has an unsuccessful Momento(another Nolan film)-like story-telling style.
> Related media: The film is based on a real event. There's a 1958 film of the same name, but I've not seen it.
> What's it like?: Over 400,000 British and French soldiers trying to hold off Hitler's invasion of France had been defeated and pushed backed to, and are surrounded on three sides at, the port of Dunkirk. What followed is a slow and deadly evacuation to England, made worse by (1) The unexpected speed and success of the German army, (2) The Royal Navy not committing its best ships to the rescue in order to save them for the next battle, (3) The presence of German submarines, fighter planes and bombers, and (4) The limited range of the RAF fighter planes flying out from England.
> Pros:
> 1) There were many long tense moments, all enchanced by great sound effects and a great soundtrack. In reality, the entire evacuation took place over ten days, and the soldiers had to endure the waiting, the German fighter planes and the lack of food and water. The film makes you feel the dread of the wait and fear the possibility of death.
> Cons:
> 1) The film moved too slowly in many scenes. In one aspect, it seemed to want to emphasise the seriousness of some events by slowing things down. In other aspects, it tried to cover the slow movement of mid-twentieth century crafts. The slow trip of a sailing boat on engine power over the English Channel was just about bearable while the slow flight of Spitfire fighters (compared to modern jet fighters) was not that fun too. The director should have told more interesting stories or did better editing to speed up the storytelling.
>
2) The director had used the trope of one of his earlier film, Momento, to arrange his story in a non-linear form. However, it wasn't well done and it felt confusing and unconvincing.
>
3) The director had used the actions of a several lead characters to advance the plot. But as half of the lead actors are not that well known, and there were too many of them to cover, it was hard to feel for the characters. More focus on fewer lead characters would be better. >
4) There were supposed to be thousands of sea vessels of all sizes arriving in Dunkirk during the evacuation, but I saw no more than 20 at one time when viewing from Dunkirk Beach. Surely there was enough budget get more vessels in the water or to use CGI? >
5) Considering his CV and continuing from the previous point, Nolan should have been able to get a bigger budget to have more things happen in this film. I felt more could be done.
> How would the the different age groups rate it?
Children: (not rated for children)
Teens: Average
Young adults: Good
Medium age adults: Good
Old adults: Good
> Rating: 4/5 (no half scores). It's worth to see it in the cinema.… Expand
2 of 18 users found this helpful216
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8
markopolousDec 21, 2017
This movie surprised me quite a bit and I wouldn’t be surprised if I think it’s even better upon second viewing. Nolan has used a unique - if not greatly illuminating - structure to tell this massive ensemble story in a tightly edited 106This movie surprised me quite a bit and I wouldn’t be surprised if I think it’s even better upon second viewing. Nolan has used a unique - if not greatly illuminating - structure to tell this massive ensemble story in a tightly edited 106 minutes. While the plotting was a little confusing for too long in my opinion, and didn’t really amount to a major wow moment, I am really impressed with how Nolan chose to tell this story. His mastery of tone, particularly hopelessness, carries the viewer on the edge of our seat through the entire film. You really feel for nearly all the characters even though you hardly get to know them through dialogue or most normal techniques. The cinematography is quite beautiful, the score effective though overused. Cast is top notch. There are some very memorable elements to this film, like when the English soldiers get into the boat and it starts getting shot at by the Germans while the tide rises. The way they turn on each other as they deal with the flooding ship and enemy soldiers outside is a real nail biter. Nolan definitely stepped it up for this film.… Expand
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8
jbrown8989Aug 8, 2017
Lived up the hype! Surprisingly there was not much dialogue but the cinematography was amazing. It is different from your traditional movie as it gets right into the action instead of building up to the storyline. Definitely one of the betterLived up the hype! Surprisingly there was not much dialogue but the cinematography was amazing. It is different from your traditional movie as it gets right into the action instead of building up to the storyline. Definitely one of the better movies this year.… Expand
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8
CrunchyIvanJul 24, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. La película es sorda. Muda. Bastante sobria. La música, minimalista. Sin quejas. Delibaradamente ausente. De lo contrario, anularía la supuesta historicidad en la que nos vemos transportados. Por eso, tiraron de efectos interesantes como una especie de ‘drone’ en violín muy rasgado muy rápido con ligera perturbación en el tempo al ascender o en la ejecución de cada nota ligeramente animalizada. Ergo, una elección de tono poco orquestal que da un tono encarnado de guerra. Sin excesivo decoro. Sí hubo, no obstante, una parte más Nolan o Zimmer, con un evidente ascenso emocional que supuestamente debía expresar un clímax que ni fu ni fa. Lo notas porque la orquesta empieza a unirse en notas sostenidas y el violín mantiene unas notas justo cuando la cámara centralea el plano en la cara del general con una emotiva respuesta. Esto era en un contexto en que venían barcos. Un sargento le pregunta al otro sargento más tocho e importante (Kennet Branagh): “¿Quién viene, señor?” silencio, cámara agrandando la cara de emoción de Kennet Branagh : “…Viene nuestro hogar”. Y barcos con banderas británicas, música orquestal muy alta y emotiva.

El punto es que otras escenas sí lograron expresar de manera más efectiva, sin señales de aplauso. Cuando los aviones bombardean, la experiencia como espectador es apabullante, la de literalmente sentirse a expensas de chillidos de pájaros que resuenan en bombas, cadáveres, y silencio. Y zumbidos. La ambientación realmente fue buena. El sonido, de nuevo, minimalista, tuvo sus mejores momentos en los sutiles efectos de ingeniería basados en zumbnidos, ritmos mecánicos, de fondo…ayudan sobremanera a esta intención de Nolan de presentarnos en un entorno lo más realista posible que casara con lo severo de la guerra.

El argumento, igual. Apenas hay. Nolan se ha centrado en transmitir la historia de lo que ocurrió en Dunquerque desde la más realista y mundana perspectiva de cualquier soldado británico. Se aleja de la epicidad barata de la industria, del belicismo, y de su propia filmografía.

Lo más interesante y peculiar en lo que respecta a la formalidad del argumento es la temporalidad narratológica. Es simple, pero efectiva. Bien ejecutada. Un recurso que confunde lo suficiente al espectador y lo relaja y activa de las historias entrelazadas que acontecen las horas de la batalla. De lo contrario, una narración lineal basada en un lapso tan corto de tiempo podría ser aburrido. Pareció acertado, no se notó forzado y fuerza al espectador a hacer un ligero esfuerzo para reorganizar los eventos. Lo que hace es simple: un día de acción lo divide en tres perspectivas separadas entre sí por unas pocas horas. Entonces, cuentas lo que ocurrió hace un día a X personaje, seguido de lo que ocurrió hace una hora a Y personaje, y lo que ocurre ahora a X e Y personaje (por ejemplo). Así, crea un contraste obvio en el que se van juntando las consecuencias, los escapes y salvaciones con los ataques y muertes, dando una textura diferente al relato.

Me gustó. No me gusta clasificar y dar nota a películas que acabo de ver. Pienso que se debe notar en frío. No obstante, mis impresiones ahora son: ha sido un esfuerzo valiente y natural de Nolan, dejando atrás la a veces aburrida epicidad de otras películas como Interestellar u Origen. Aquí ha hecho un esfuerzo realista. Lo situaría probablemente por encima de las dos películas mencionadas.

Ahora una nota numérica sin perspectiva ni sistema de notas.

Nota: 8.

Ejecución cinematográfica impecable, sin esfuerzos dramáticos: imagen a veces perfecta, otras veces, bien. Música cumple con creces, si bien tampoco sobresaliente (lo mejor, los incesantes paisajes sonoros y los medio ragas minimalistas de corte industrial). Argumento: no era el objetivo de Nolan. Lo cual es una virtud que caracteriza la película. Pero el hecho, está ahí. Apenas hay diálogo. Todo lo contado es visto. Y lo visto, no llega a alcanzar tal grandeza ni los acontecimientos llegan a ser trasncendentales, si bien conforman una incesante tensión y emoción.

(El arte de no pensar, wordpress blog)… Expand
1 of 5 users found this helpful14
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8
RobBob99Jul 23, 2017
While I do believe this is Nolan's best movie to date, it's not necessarily my favorite. This is an achievement in filmmaking, especially in today's world. Very little dialogue is spoken, little to no character development is given, andWhile I do believe this is Nolan's best movie to date, it's not necessarily my favorite. This is an achievement in filmmaking, especially in today's world. Very little dialogue is spoken, little to no character development is given, and almost nothing is explained to the audience. Instead, he takes us through a story told visually in such a compelling and unique way. With Hans Zimmer's pounding score and a thunderous sound design, he transports us right in the event of Dunkirk that deservers to be seen on the biggest screen possible.… Expand
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8
DefinitelyMaybAug 18, 2017
Great survival (war) film with amazing cinematography. There is no denying how tense the film is and the amount of practical effects that went with it. However, I dont think this is Nolan's best work nor ranks as one of the best war films. IGreat survival (war) film with amazing cinematography. There is no denying how tense the film is and the amount of practical effects that went with it. However, I dont think this is Nolan's best work nor ranks as one of the best war films. I agree with most people that the story is rather bland and doesn't quite work because the scale is shrunk to a minature size. What most people seem to overlook is that the evacuation occurred over 5 days, with most soldiers saved actually by the actualy navy, but the creative choice in this film does not seem to capture this enough, instead spends more time on characters that at the end serve really little and I dont think you will necessarily get much following them at all - I rather Nolan just spent the entire film looking at different people in the process.… Expand
8 of 9 users found this helpful81
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8
MrJimmyJul 30, 2017
Brilliant. Not a conventional blockbuster, but tense from start to finish. Each story could stand alone as it's own film and the way they intertwine is brilliant. A true masterpiece.
0 of 6 users found this helpful06
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8
isjoaoJan 23, 2018
I have no comments to make about this movie, I just want to use the 75 character minimum limit for reviews.
5 of 7 users found this helpful52
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8
KaptenVideoAug 1, 2017
Ahh... Nolan. Who doesn't love Christopher Nolan, eh? One of the most acclaimed directors working today, a cinematic genius behind modern classics such as "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "The Prestige", "Inception" and "Interstellar"...
Well, IAhh... Nolan. Who doesn't love Christopher Nolan, eh? One of the most acclaimed directors working today, a cinematic genius behind modern classics such as "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "The Prestige", "Inception" and "Interstellar"...
Well, I hate to be a party pooper (as always), but I have never shared the mad love every other movie fan I know has to share for him. I mean, his works are a'ight, but I never found them to be as great as everybody else seemed to think.
I guess I liked early Nolan the best – "Memento" and especially "Insomnia" –, when he was more interested in characters and building suspense than just creating the biggest baddest epics available.
Of course, Nolan is good at creating suspense and orchestrating action setpieces, but even his best works "Inception" and "Interstellar" have suffered from being overlong and pompous. Not to mention his third and last Batman which felt like a big pompous piece of crap.
Having written all that, I liked "Dunkirk" a lot. It's not only one of the finest movies of 2017 (so far), one of the most thoughtful war dramas I've seen, and also Nolan's best yet.
Although if you go to cinema expecting his usual, you may well leave disappointed, because this epic World War II tale is quite unlike anything we have come to associate him with.
After all these years, it must be supremely difficult to create a war drama with something fresh to show or say.
But Nolan is not afraid of challenges, and he has managed to pull off a movie which is both epic and intimate, artsy and mainstream-friendly, adrenaline-filled and deep at the same time. It's what the movie lovers always wait for but rarely get: a thinking man's blockbuster.
"Dunkirk" shows the experience of war from the another angle rarely seen or thought of, at least in movies. It's about human frailty, loneliness, isolation and enduring the limbo between chaos and salvation that war is made of.
Of course, there’s also enough explosions and eye-candy, but the whole thing is rather artsy in a good way. Not much dialogue or clearly defined events too, just people waiting (because there's nothing else left for them to do) and trying to survive.
There is not even a single clearly-defined central character, although there are several main storylines to follow, sometimes not in chronological form.
The story is about thousands of Allied troops surrounded by enemy forces, trapped on the beach and waiting for rescuing.
We have some well-known actors here, such as Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy, but it's not really an actor's movie (ie, meant to let somebody shine) but fitting everything into a carefully crafted cinematic mosaic.
Speaking about war part, I especially loved the flight and air battle scenes. The immediacy, the sound effects. Also the fact that they were often made from pilot’s viewpoints, so it feels more realistic. The pilot shoots and we see target plane catching fire only after a while, for example.
All in all, „Dunkirk“ is the Nolan movie that has touched me the most. It’s about real things, emotions and experiences, and the action is thrillng. Another beautiful achievement for one of the most liked and successful auteurs working in mainstream cinema today.
Watched it in IMAX which probably add something to the experience, at least from technical standpoint. But it’s surely a good looking and sounding movie on any screen or setup, methinks.… Expand
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8
KeithDowAug 4, 2017
Christopher Nolan is arguably the most technically proficient director in the game. From one film to the next, he ceaselessly pushes the boundaries of his craft, insisting upon large format cameras, actual film, and ever more complicatedChristopher Nolan is arguably the most technically proficient director in the game. From one film to the next, he ceaselessly pushes the boundaries of his craft, insisting upon large format cameras, actual film, and ever more complicated shots.

As a result--technically speaking--'Dunkirk' meets or exceeds every expectation. The expansive beach landscapes, claustrophobic interior settings, and countless practical effects all lend a sense of heightened realism to this historical drama.

Yet, it's the story itself that lacks the intensity Nolan was aiming for. The three vantage point structure detracts from the overall immersion into the film. Cillian Murphy's character is both confounding and frustratingly hollow. And there is a fair amount of repetitiveness to the plot. It should be noted that Hans Zimmer's score is nothing short of remarkable and serves as a much need thread of consistency throughout the film. However, when history has its say, 'Dunkirk' will likely reside on a lesser tier of Nolan's filmography.… Expand
2 of 5 users found this helpful23
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8
Cameronius_113Jul 21, 2017
Dunkirk was released in 2017 and was directed by Christopher Nolan. The film is a representation of the events that occured in Dunkirk during the second World War when hundreds of thousands of British soliders were trapped on the island'sDunkirk was released in 2017 and was directed by Christopher Nolan. The film is a representation of the events that occured in Dunkirk during the second World War when hundreds of thousands of British soliders were trapped on the island's beaches whilst waiting for help to come.

Christopher Nolan is a director well-known in the filmmaking industry today for being very ambitious and making films huge in scope; this film is a prime example. The film never tries to change itself to suit another audience or sub-genre and sticks to its own agenda of telling the story of the events that actually went down and how they occured, which is why some audience members may not be huge fans of this film.

The film isn't like most other war films such as Saving Private Ryan which incorporate many drama elements into them to make a more involving story; this film chooses to focus on the scale of the event rather than focusing on the characters of the film, focusing on characters being typically what most war films do and how the situation they are in is affecting them. The characters of this film are not a big part and there isn't much dialogue in the film either, which may put off some audience members for not being able to connect with characters. However, I do very much appreciate the fact that the film was never overly-dramatised or included needless exposition for the characters as they are not the focal point of the film, which is the main thing that sets this film apart from other war films I have seen.

As I've mentioned multiple times, the film is very ambitious in showing the scale of this event: the film has three different storylines occuring simultaneosly (one on land, one on sea, one on air) which helps to show how the event affected many more than just the soldiers stranded on the island. Also, the film is visually fantastic as well as the sound too; every single time a bullet shot or a plane flew by, I as an audience member felt in the moment of what had happened. The music in the background also added to the intensity of the film, one notable part of the score was a clock ticking throughout which added to the sense of urgency in each scene. There never really is a second in the film where anything stops to take a breath.

What I appreciated the most about Dunkirk was how it was rather experimental in parts, and has tried things that many other war films have never done before. The fact that the event itself was chose as the focal point was the key to creating an immersive cinematic experience and it was an "experiment" that overall proved to be very effective. It never turns over to show the political side to the story or add unnecessary character drama as, as Nolan himself as stated, it would "make the film bogged down" so it never felt over-crammed or messy, which is something difficult to avoid when telling a story with multiple aspects and sides to it. Thankfully the film wasn't overly long either, having a runtime of just 105 minutes when compared to other films of Nolan's such as The Dark Knight Rises (which has a runtime of around 165 minutes) and therefore it never dragged on or felt stretched out or boring.

Overall, Dunkirk is a film that may not be appealing to most audience members due to it taking a risk in its focal point, however I very much appreciated a change in style and this is a war film that I will definitely always remember and hopefully others will too. I would highly recommend this film, however only to the right audience.

8.1/10… Expand
4 of 13 users found this helpful49
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8
neothinkerNov 27, 2017
This movie doesn't have much action so if you're expecting Saving Private Ryan then you'll be disappointed. What you will get is a poignant picture of the events at Dunkirk.
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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8
MonkiReviewsApr 2, 2018
I enjoyed this movie a lot. The acting was great, and they made the movie feel more real. The sound was very realistic also. The story, in my opinion, was very interesting. They brought each side story together into one big story. The onlyI enjoyed this movie a lot. The acting was great, and they made the movie feel more real. The sound was very realistic also. The story, in my opinion, was very interesting. They brought each side story together into one big story. The only bad thing about it is that the story felt a little rushed towards the middle. I liked this movie overall.… Expand
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8
MugeshJul 22, 2017
Another good film by Nolan. The film has great cinematography and story. The film is very intense and takes the viewers into the film. The film is great but yet it did not satisfy my expectation. And ofcourse it is not his best film. It isAnother good film by Nolan. The film has great cinematography and story. The film is very intense and takes the viewers into the film. The film is great but yet it did not satisfy my expectation. And ofcourse it is not his best film. It is worth the time and days waiting for. The film contains an interesting sequence towards the climax of the film. Dunkirk is an over-expected movie. If Die hard Nolan fans like me are expecting to see his master piece, Dunkirk is not the right film.… Expand
3 of 10 users found this helpful37
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8
Orli_AguilarAug 2, 2017
Un espectáculo visual enorme y amplio. Tan enorme que no le hace justicia a la factura emotiva, débil y fácilmente olvidable. Da una impresión inconexa, a pesar del especial personal énfasis de Nolan en conectarlo todo.
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8
jacoobi456Sep 10, 2017
Dunkirk was a haunting, not Hollywoodized depiction of the battle of Dunkirk, directed by none other than Christopher Nolan. The choice of the lead role was a good one, as he was a relatively unknown actor at the time of his casting, whichDunkirk was a haunting, not Hollywoodized depiction of the battle of Dunkirk, directed by none other than Christopher Nolan. The choice of the lead role was a good one, as he was a relatively unknown actor at the time of his casting, which for me made me emphasize more with the characters and the sequence of dramatic, life-threatening events that he and his comrades face throughout the film. Speaking of his comrades, Harry Styles has a future in acting after his great performance in this film. I thought he and his character were very good, as he portrayed a UK-biased character who didn't think very fondly of other nationalities, which provided for a interesting scene which I won't say any more about. The dogfight scenes were gripping, and the subplot with George was a very good one. It made you care as much about him as you did the soldiers, and that says a significant something about the storylines of the film - fantastic. The use of authentic ships and planes in this film actually enhanced the viewing, as you connected more with the action and the film was more vivid, making you feel more enveloped and involved with the happenings of the film. The only small critic I have is that when dialogue was used out of an action scene, and it wasn't all that much, I thought it was a bit bland/nonchalant considering what they had just come out of/the sheer danger that they are in all the time. I personally felt as if, again in very small quantities, the editing was a little poorly choice, and they could've edited it in a different way to create even more suspense/ action in the action scenes. All in all, a great film and one you shouldn't miss, especially since it is based off of a completely true, albeit harrowing, story.… Expand
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8
ConorMacleodAug 20, 2017
Dunkirk is a great historical reflection of the events during World War II. Supported by the foundations of an intense score, Dunkirk features transparent dramatic performances that accentuate the time period and a simple narrativeDunkirk is a great historical reflection of the events during World War II. Supported by the foundations of an intense score, Dunkirk features transparent dramatic performances that accentuate the time period and a simple narrative intertwined into three different divisions of time; effectively mixing up the way the audience perceives the events of the narrative.

Dunkirk: A- (VG5)… Expand
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8
MohamedHamadJul 23, 2017
Dunkirk delivers an unusual capture of a historic evacuation that passed unnoticed in previous WWII movies. I’d say that Nolan is obsessed with time throughout his career. In Dunkirk, he takes us through three perspectives; land, sea and air.Dunkirk delivers an unusual capture of a historic evacuation that passed unnoticed in previous WWII movies. I’d say that Nolan is obsessed with time throughout his career. In Dunkirk, he takes us through three perspectives; land, sea and air. The movie tells the three perspectives with different timelines; at land, the story spreads over a week, sea for one day and air for one hour. This script emphasize Nolan’s determination on doing things differently than almost all directors. In addition, the three perspectives meet at some points linking the whole jigsaw that he created. The lead character in the movie was the directing technique and Hans Zimmer score. Nolan kept audience on their feet elegantly with almost no bloody violent scenes even when people are blasted off. The intention I’d say not to fall in the trap of “the movie tells the horrific stories of war” but rather this movie “captures an untold story of war differently”.
However, dialogue was scarce and very simple not like any other dialogue in Nolan’s writings. May be was intentional to capture the era. Casting was brilliant but acting was very average except may be for Mark Rylance, Damien Bonnard and Barry Keoghan. N.B. Nolan is a big fan of covering up Tom Hardy’s face.… Expand
5 of 13 users found this helpful58
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8
Supahninjah17Jul 28, 2017
Where to even begin with this one, this movie was amazing. It gives the viewer three separate but parallel (meaning they all occur at the same time) perspectives. This concept helps give the viewer insight on the struggles of the British andWhere to even begin with this one, this movie was amazing. It gives the viewer three separate but parallel (meaning they all occur at the same time) perspectives. This concept helps give the viewer insight on the struggles of the British and French civilians, soldiers and pilots. Definitely worth a watch. However, there is little character development on the soldier and pilot side of things. You will not know much about the main people you are supposed to be following. Also, the soldiers on the beach don't seem to be bothered by the fact that the enemy is getting closer am dead closer to them each day, which seems to be an oversight on the writing part because the soldiers that were actually at Dunkirk were most likely very troubled (and that's putting it lightly) by the enemies presence. If you like action, you will like this movie, if you like World War II history, you will definitely like this movie.… Expand
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8
GreedyPete69000Aug 10, 2017
Not an enjoyable movie, but a masterful and a memorable experience. I caught myself holding my breath multiple times. What is Tom Hardy made of, that he can give a great performance while wearing multiple layers of clothing, stuck inside aNot an enjoyable movie, but a masterful and a memorable experience. I caught myself holding my breath multiple times. What is Tom Hardy made of, that he can give a great performance while wearing multiple layers of clothing, stuck inside a cramped cockpit, with only his eyes showing? Unreal.… Expand
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8
EvilHerbivoreAug 29, 2017
A good piece of war cinema. Cinematography and sound work together to create a movie which gives the viewer some understanding of what it could have been like to participate in the events. The non-chronological action in my opinion adds toA good piece of war cinema. Cinematography and sound work together to create a movie which gives the viewer some understanding of what it could have been like to participate in the events. The non-chronological action in my opinion adds to the film, as otherwise it may have become just another war movie in which the viewer pretty much knows what is going to happen next. The cast does a splendid job, from Tom Hardy as a jet fighter pilot to Cillian Murphy as a shellshocked soldier to Kenneth Branagh as a typical British stiff upper lip commander. The only issue I can see is the amount of pathos, which may sometimes be too much, but which is understandable in a British war movie about British soldiers directed by a British director.… Expand
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8
rubrandonmSep 5, 2017
Dunkirk displays Nolan's style at its most intriguing. The disparate plotlines are a bit confusing but make more sense with a second viewing. Nolan manages to unite the separated characters under his steadfast theme.
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8
CoreGamer1408Aug 18, 2022
The message I got is war really sucks and retreating in war really sucks even more, but this is basically a intense slow burner rescue/survival movie. It gave me the really big sad watching all this. What a waste of human life this thing weThe message I got is war really sucks and retreating in war really sucks even more, but this is basically a intense slow burner rescue/survival movie. It gave me the really big sad watching all this. What a waste of human life this thing we call war. Movies like bring home the real horror and the ultimate sacrifice in times of war. It adds levels and layers to the saying "Thank you for your service". Massive respect to vets in times of conflict.… Expand
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8
duckmasterSep 16, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a decent war movie that has great effects and visuals. It is also unique in how the idea of survival is emphasized throughout the film; specifically, three of four groups of individuals are the focus. However, there is a lack of character development because of this.… Expand
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8
DomgwyDec 20, 2017
Christopher Nolan has developed a reputation as a continually ambitious and clever film-maker. His back-catalogue has played with the conventions of narrative (Memento), deconstructed film itself (The Prestige) and tackled challengingChristopher Nolan has developed a reputation as a continually ambitious and clever film-maker. His back-catalogue has played with the conventions of narrative (Memento), deconstructed film itself (The Prestige) and tackled challenging cinematic subjects such as the nature of reality (Inception) and the time-space continuum (Interstellar) with mixed results.

With Dunkirk, Nolan brings his unique sensibility to a true story of war and survival, and the results are equally stunning and ambitious.

Beyond the incredible cinematography and film-making craft on display the most striking thing about Dunkirk is its unique structure. Rather than following a linear narrative, the film cuts between three perspectives; land, sea and air. While the action cuts between these viewpoints the timelines can at times get a little confused, (an evacuation taking place at night cuts back to a dogfight in broad daylight for instance) which can distract from the film itself, at least on first viewing. As with most of Nolan’s films, Dunkirk demands repeat viewing and I’m sure on further thought these stylistic choices will become more clear.

Individually however each element of the story is played out perfectly. While a group of young soldiers battle to get home, a squad of Spitfire pilots desperately provide air-deference and a civilian father and son sail their small yacht across the channel to help in anyway they can.

Each thread is played with subtlety and pathos by the ensemble cast. There are no showy, oscar-bait performances in Dunkirk. Instead the cast deliver understated and powerful depictions of real men in real situations. For almost all his screen time, Tom Hardy (easily the biggest star in the film) is hidden behind a flight mask. It is a testament to his skill that with only his eyes he is able to communicate the indecision and internal conflict within his character.

Likewise, veteran actors Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh exude British fortitude with their stiff-upper lip attitude tinged with underlying emotion and empathy for the young men in harms way.

To say Dunkirk is light on action is a disservice, however in terms of battles this is no Saving Private Ryan. Instead Nolan depicts the constant threat to the British forces as an existential horror. The German forces are almost an element to be overcome like fire or the sea rather than an enemy with a set of goals and motivations. This approach* is incredibly effective and certainly succeeds in putting the audience in the position of the soldiers as the terrifying sound of the Luftwaffe dive bombers rises to meet the defenseless British ground forces.

On first viewing the sense of desperation and dread is only undermined by the films structure. As a tense scene on the beach inter-cuts with a claustrophobic standoff on the sea, you find yourself wondering, ‘hang on, was this the day before? or is this all happening at the same time?’. Ideally you should be so engrossed in the drama of the situations that questions like this shouldn’t matter too much. By cutting in-between though, Nolan sometimes denies scenes the opportunity to play out.

Towards the films climax however, the three threads are brought together in a breathtaking crescendo which makes all the narrative trickery worthwhile.

As with his previous film (Interstellar), the director has shown that his own ambition can sometimes be a hindrance. However each element of Dunkirk does a stunning job of recreating an amazing true story and the experiences of those involved. No doubt it will be a film that will be discussed and re-watched just as much as Nolan’s fictional works. If that demand for repeat viewings is his greatest trick, then the film maker has succeeded in bringing a little known military miracle to the public consciousness, not just for a few weeks during the summer blockbuster season, but for years to come.

*While showing the Germans as these faceless machines of war is effective, it does fall into the age old trap that war movies struggle to escape — demonizing the enemy. In all likelihood the soldiers on the other side of the conflict were also young men called up to serve their country and give their lives for someone else’s political beliefs. This isn’t a problem with Dunkirk specifically but more of a wider societal issue where cinema continues to reflect the old saying that ‘history is written by the victors’. While films such as Dunkirk and last years’ Hacksaw Ridge tell true stories of extraordinary heroism from the British and American sides of the war, any similar stories from the opposite side of the conflict seem to have been lost to history.… Expand
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8
GorbaxDec 2, 2017
Dunkirk is thrilling and suspenseful. A, in this age of streaming, rare film that truly must be seen in a theater to fully experience. In fact, without the big screen. This journey loses a great deal of it's effectiveness
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8
Miles_SDec 3, 2017
Dunkirk is thrilling and suspenseful. A, in this age of streaming, rare film that truly must be seen in a theater to fully experience. In fact, without the big screen. This journey loses a great deal of it's effectiveness
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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8
benskylerhillMay 6, 2018
Dunkirk is very much unlike the rest of Christopher Nolan's filmography. His earlier work--in particular The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar--is very much large-scale and spectacle-driven while it still boasts narratives that areDunkirk is very much unlike the rest of Christopher Nolan's filmography. His earlier work--in particular The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar--is very much large-scale and spectacle-driven while it still boasts narratives that are anchored by intelligent, complex dialogue. With Dunkirk, Nolan retains the visual and audio extravagance but trades in the intellect for simplicity. Sometimes this formula works in this case, and sometimes it doesn't.

As is to be expected from Nolan at this point, this film is gorgeous to look at. The set design incorporates actual sea vessels from World War II and is flawlessly constructed. All of the lighting and camera angles are seamless and serve to portray the brutality of war in a beautifully engaging way.

Where Dunkirk falls flat is in its storytelling methods. It's utilizes nonlinear storytelling that is never clear about when it jumps back and forth through time, thus making it difficult to decipher the movie's timeline. It's also a film that isn't about any one character or even group of characters. It's about the event; the Dunkirk rescue of 1940 is the film's only character. Because there is so little dialogue and yet so many people in the movie, there is no time to get to know any of the characters as people and thus it is hard to connect with the story in a deep, emotional way. Granted, it is to be understood that the film effectively portrays war as harsh and uncaring by not providing any characters to care about; but when it comes to watching a film, there ought to be a reason to care. It's a two-edged sword, really.

Christopher Nolan's departure from his somewhat predictable formula feels fresh and proves to be effective in crafting a compelling war thiller that is not perfect by any means but treats its historical source material with honest and dignified honor and respect.

Story: 5.5
Acting: 8.5
Script: 7.5
Visuals/Sound: 10
Entertainment Value: 7.5

OVERALL SCORE: 7.8/10… Expand
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8
ErikTheCriticOct 8, 2018
This may not be his best work, but Nolan still manages to deliver first-rate, striking visuals accompanied by excellent performances and a sustained intensity throughout the whole film.
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8
carlossolracNov 14, 2018
Historically condensed but we all got it. Pretty stunning from visual perspective. Heroes on levels not seen since those days.
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8
DerekReideMar 29, 2019
A stunning film about one of the biggest battles in World War II. Amazing visuals and great use of limited dialogue. 'Dunkirk' is a really good drama movie.
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8
FilmanwaltJul 5, 2021
Strong film. A film that shows the war scenario around the evacuation success of over 300,000 mainly British and French soldiers on the last line of defense around Dunkirk. Basically the many soldiers were waiting there to be taken over toStrong film. A film that shows the war scenario around the evacuation success of over 300,000 mainly British and French soldiers on the last line of defense around Dunkirk. Basically the many soldiers were waiting there to be taken over to the island by ship. You had the advancing armed forces of the Nazis behind you and the Luftwaffe above your heads.

The film mainly stages the psychologically stressful accessories of a war or a single war scenario. The constant fear of every single soldier has been conveyed (mostly) well and you have had one or two goose bumps here. So it is not shown in the very classic sense of "war", but much more the surrounding area. Various impressions underline the sheer fear in the soldiers' thoughts.

For me, the very impressive presentation resulted mainly from the parallelism of the scenes, which are then put together from different perspectives, underlaid with suitable sound and good music. The sound design in particular was very haunting and threatening, especially due to the dive fighter planes, and it conveyed the situation very well.

Dunkirk is a film about survival. The evacuation process is focused on the air, sea and beach sections in the film. These subdivisions of the film are represented by different actors (e.g. Tom Hardy in a Spitfire). But especially with the soldiers, I would have liked to have had more time in Dunkirk to portray the psychological stress even more drastically on film. Unfortunately, this part was dealt with very quickly and right at the beginning.

A total of 4/5 evacuation boats.… Expand
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8
r96skJan 2, 2021
Very good.

'Dunkirk', as you'd expect given the director, is extremely well made. I particularly enjoyed how the film is shot, the sound editing and the score. It's a watchable story about an event from World War II. I wouldn't, personally,Very good.

'Dunkirk', as you'd expect given the director, is extremely well made. I particularly enjoyed how the film is shot, the sound editing and the score. It's a watchable story about an event from World War II.

I wouldn't, personally, say there's a standout cast performer. I don't mean that negatively, it's just more a film about a group of people rather than individuals - which I assume was the intention. There are still good performances, from the likes of Tom Glynn-Carney and Jack Lowden. It also features star names, including Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Mark Rylance.

The music and how the sequences are crafted is what elevates this film up, while the pacing is almost spot on - they could easily have made this 2hr 15mins+, like most war films seem to do, but keeping it at around 1hr 47mins was a smart choice. I do still feel like it could've been greater, yet I still got entertainment from it.… Expand
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8
Jaguar2020Apr 27, 2020
This project is a gap of patterns, you get used to seeing how cool British troops crush the Nazis like kittens, and here, a complete retreat, an atmosphere of hopelessness, the beach is strewn with bodies. The main opponent will never showThis project is a gap of patterns, you get used to seeing how cool British troops crush the Nazis like kittens, and here, a complete retreat, an atmosphere of hopelessness, the beach is strewn with bodies. The main opponent will never show his face. Artful fascists attack from the air and the poor British young men who see death all around, try to survive in order to continue the fight. A strong, growing soundtrack that boosts the atmosphere. Scenes from which there is not enough air is when a whole cruiser goes to the bottom. Terrible things are shown in this film. And foggy Albion sends three spitfayers to help. However, a miracle near Dunkirk happened, and this story did not continue with the operation "sea lion" Nolan is a genius!… Expand
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8
MattKingsburyJun 8, 2020
On second viewing, realising that Dunkirk was more of an experience than a movie, Dunkirk impresses. Every scene in the plane felt tense, the music swells at the perfect times, and the hints of a story feel...disappointing. I can't help butOn second viewing, realising that Dunkirk was more of an experience than a movie, Dunkirk impresses. Every scene in the plane felt tense, the music swells at the perfect times, and the hints of a story feel...disappointing. I can't help but feel that the addition of a more fledged out narrative would only add to the film. Nevertheless, Dunkirk is beautifully crafted and the incredible sound design pulls you into the second world war like no other film has. Yet, I have to recommend other world war 2 films - such as Hacksaw Ridge - as the must watch films instead.… Expand
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8
AJ_13Jan 11, 2021
Soooo goood. I really enjoyed how Nolan divides it in three story lines: ground, sea and air. I still think that there is something lacking.
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8
esvatorJan 26, 2021
Sound and image powerful anti-war drama about the tragic fates of wartime..
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8
rapid_BoiDec 19, 2021
One word to describe this film: Intense. The whole way through I was on the edge of my seat, thinking, "What's going to happen next?" The sound effects are brilliant, the visuals are magnificent and the music is intense, just like the movie.One word to describe this film: Intense. The whole way through I was on the edge of my seat, thinking, "What's going to happen next?" The sound effects are brilliant, the visuals are magnificent and the music is intense, just like the movie. The decision to follow the stories of the land, air and sea was a great decision. T. This movie's dialogue is scarce, with Nolan choosing to convey the horrors of war through excellent cinematography and music. The only problem is, apart from Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy's characters, none of them are really interesting, and along with the virtually non-existent Character development, there is little to no depth to the characters, making you wonder why you should feel for them. The movie also feels very slow, much longer than the 107 minutes it actually runs for. Other than that, this is a great War flick, and another great movie from Nolan.… Expand
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8
AgentLviJun 27, 2023
Great movie. The story is decent. The scoring is great, visual is really amazing, the voice & sound is also amazing
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8
Richard552Aug 10, 2022
Giving a 10/10 to Dunkirk isn't enough. It's another flawless masterpiece from Nolan and such a unique experience.
$1 to buy a Netflix account, Google search: vtvshare
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7
Hawkeye_LoriJul 26, 2017
Considering his body of work, this movie is only middling, in my opinion and not worthy of a 94. There is no emotional connection with the characters except perhaps 1 or 2. The timing linkages between the 3 stories was brilliant. I wouldConsidering his body of work, this movie is only middling, in my opinion and not worthy of a 94. There is no emotional connection with the characters except perhaps 1 or 2. The timing linkages between the 3 stories was brilliant. I would wait to see this when is released later. Save you money.… Expand
6 of 14 users found this helpful68
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7
ScraperDec 19, 2017
A well-crafted war piece destined to become a monument of British pride. Most characters in the several narratives of the film remain somewhat distant. We never get to know the depths of them through dialogue. The somber, intense scenarioA well-crafted war piece destined to become a monument of British pride. Most characters in the several narratives of the film remain somewhat distant. We never get to know the depths of them through dialogue. The somber, intense scenario does most of the talking, as soldiers attempt to cross the English Channel to survive the Nazi's advance.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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7
VDSMar 10, 2018
I avoided this at the cinema because I don’t like war films (self-censorship at its worst). I’m still pleased I didn’t see it at the cinema, but not because it isn’t very good. It is good.

If you’re expecting a Christopher Nolan realityI avoided this at the cinema because I don’t like war films (self-censorship at its worst). I’m still pleased I didn’t see it at the cinema, but not because it isn’t very good. It is good.

If you’re expecting a Christopher Nolan reality bending flic, or a full on action bash, you’ll be disappointed. Or a Saving Private Ryan type overly-sentimental blood bath, again you’ll be disappointed.

What the movie has is layers, beautiful cinematography, minimal dialogue and only a few war movie clichés.

The stand out parts for me were the flying sequences, and the whole story line involving Tom Hardy as the Spitfire pilot. It looked beautiful, it was handled delicately, and it seemed happy to forgo glamor and focus on reality. The end was a bit cheesy, and that would be my criticism of the film in general. What started off as a surprisingly down to earth war film, did sink a little bit into cliché by the end.

However, I’d recommend it. But, one more word of warning, the Americans do not swoop in at the end and ‘save the day’, so if you’re wanting that, move along. This film focuses on the British, and how, I guess, we got the saying ‘the Dunkirk spirit’.… Expand
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7
currer_bellJan 13, 2018
This is your typical war movie that is getting rave reviews just because it's a war movie. I expected much more from Nolan's Dunkirk, especially since Inception is one of the best movie I've ever seen. Nonetheless, it's true the visuals andThis is your typical war movie that is getting rave reviews just because it's a war movie. I expected much more from Nolan's Dunkirk, especially since Inception is one of the best movie I've ever seen. Nonetheless, it's true the visuals and music is great. Acting is solid. It's also impressing to see Nolan make a movie out of a plot so thin. But that's also part of the problem ; the plot is really, REALLY thin. There's no story, no progression, no dialogues, no characters differences... So be aware that as far as entertainement is concern, Dunkirk can be a real nightmare.… Expand
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7
tibzoidJul 28, 2017
Not understanding why there is so much praise for what is at best a pretty middling war movie. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't do a good job of portraying the true scale of the evacuation. I think there's something wrong with filmNot understanding why there is so much praise for what is at best a pretty middling war movie. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't do a good job of portraying the true scale of the evacuation. I think there's something wrong with film criticism right now. We're so grateful for anything that approaches half-way decent that we lose all perspective. Dunkirk is perfectly okay entertainment but nothing more.… Expand
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7
OrangeknockoutAug 2, 2017
this movie barely gets a 7 out of me. I would give the movie a 6.9 if I could but there is no option for that. overall Dunkirk is a satisfying movie to watch. it has some moments in the movie where you go like," oh **** there are somethis movie barely gets a 7 out of me. I would give the movie a 6.9 if I could but there is no option for that. overall Dunkirk is a satisfying movie to watch. it has some moments in the movie where you go like," oh **** there are some genuinely intense moments in the movie where you are on the edge of your seat. the scenes are captivating primarily due to the movie's excellent musical score. the music in this movie is what really gives Dunkirk's scenes that final push to be truly epic.

I was thrown off a little though. Dunkirk is not your traditional war movie; I went in expecting a gory violent war movie, but was instead treated to a very non-violent war movie. not sure how Christopher pulled that off, considering its a war movie. overall, pretty good movie. the constant scene changing did confuse me a little and I felt like Dunkirk lacks in comparison to nolans other amazing movies. there is not much character development and I got lost at times at what was going on in the movie or who these people were.… Expand
2 of 6 users found this helpful24
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7
BigDegs29Jul 24, 2017
Dunkirk is more a visual and auditory treat than a great movie. It tells its story not through dialogue, but largely through powerful visuals: the anguished and fearful looks on the faces of the characters, the hopeless waiting on theDunkirk is more a visual and auditory treat than a great movie. It tells its story not through dialogue, but largely through powerful visuals: the anguished and fearful looks on the faces of the characters, the hopeless waiting on the beaches by masses of people, the frustration of the fighter pilot, the panic of the drowning, and so on.

While it kept me entertained, I think most people are heaping acclaim on the movie simply for this novel way of approaching things. To me, doing things a new way does not automatically a masterpiece make. For some reason, the director unnecessarily played around with the timeline. You'll see a flip from daytime to nighttime and back again between scenes. I think the director dispensed with a coherent timeline in favor of portraying a certain emotional feeling, but it doesn't always work well.

As visual storytelling, it does a great job. On any other level, it's simply decent. If you're interested, go see it in theaters. Unless you have a good sound system, you'd be missing out on half the experience otherwise.… Expand
7 of 15 users found this helpful78
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7
HuraxdaxJul 28, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly, when I first left the movie theater after watching Dunkirk, I thought it was not really a great movie, especially not from somebody like Christopher Nolan. Over the course of a night of good sleep and one not-too-busy day with a lot of thinking, I've changed my mind. Although I still don't consider it his best movie - not even his second- or third-best one - I do see the "Nolan-touch" in it, which is always a good thing. Let me explain.
The most important point to eventually change my mind was how great of a war movie Dunkirk is. Not a movie, a war movie. I like that the main Characters didn't get introduced too much, nor got a big background story. Over time, they don't develop like you would expect from a typical modern movie. They just happen to be the 'chosen ones' for the movie, among 400,000 other men with just the same fate. I feel like this gives the whole war setting a much more authentic and believable touch to it, because nobody speaks of 'heroes'. They're all just soldiers. Another thing I enjoyed were the intersections of some of the sub-plots. The parallel events created a sense of unity in the main plot which brings me to a side of the movie that I didn't like. The idea of having three sub-plots happening over three different time periods is good, but the way it is introduced isn't. The only hint we get as to how long each sub-plot plays out and where it begins and ends is right at the beginning of the movie, when there are three shots, introducing the perspectives air, land and sea. In each shot, a time period is stated. One week for land, one day for the sea and one hour for the air. The only plot that has a nice pace throughout the movie is the sea. I found myself being most fascinated by the sea plot and caring the most about it. Partly also because it was the easiest to follow. While the land part happened much too quickly for the risky endeavor it really was, the air-part repeated itself 4 times with the same dogfight-scene, thus got pretty boring (and unrealistic, given the authenticity of the rest of the film) towards the end. It took me pretty long to figure out that the time-periods in the beginning indicated how long each of the three plots lasted in real life. That, combined with the three plots being shown literally parallel makes for a pretty confusing experience at times. Although Nolan has repeatedly proven to be the master of confusion in earlier movies, this time it didn't quite work for him. On the other hand, so many things did work. The scene towards the end, where the boat we follow in the "sea" part reveals to be one of hundreds coming to rescue the soldiers worked great. The cinematography, the sometimes dark, sometimes turquoise look of the film combined with the mind blowing sound belongs to the best audio visual cinema experiences I've ever witnessed. And most of all, the mood of war, the hopeless brutality and endeavor, the sheer insanity of that scenario works exceptionally well. What can I say, Chris Nolan just knows how to make a great movie.

Over all, it's a mixed bag. The ideas Nolan put into the movie are great and show his talent as a filmmaker, but the way he ended up realizing them doesn't quite make for an entertaining movie. I see this movie as one that you truly enjoy the second time you watch it, because the first time you're busy figuring out what happens where and especially when. It's not the typical war-movie. It's not a typical movie at all. You have to in the mood for a movie that has more in common with a documentary than with a hollywood movie, but at the same time wants to be a hollywood movie (and is one, regarding sound ans visuals). Maybe it's just the wrong genre for a director like Nolan.… Expand
9 of 14 users found this helpful95
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7
rvndprJul 30, 2017
The movie was good. But it does not live up to the hype. They will tell you that it was shot with IMAX cameras and what not. But it doesn't really look stunning on the IMAX screen. Besides that, the audio reproduced very well the sounds oneThe movie was good. But it does not live up to the hype. They will tell you that it was shot with IMAX cameras and what not. But it doesn't really look stunning on the IMAX screen. Besides that, the audio reproduced very well the sounds one hears in a war quite well. That unfortunately does not work very well, when you want to hear and understand what people are saying. I was able to understand what was going on for the most part, even though I missed a good part of what people were saying. It was too loud and just not worth the money - I was hoping to see some good cinematography.… Expand
5 of 7 users found this helpful52
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7
HelenHDec 31, 2017
Slightly too artistic for my taste (three storylines that join at one point) and a very simple plot, but good at capturing the mood and overall a good movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
ShiArchJul 29, 2017
Good movie but definitely not great.
The subject matter is presented in a mundane manner and the perpetually flying fighter plane, which apparently doesn't need oil, is such a massive distraction from realities of war that it begs theGood movie but definitely not great.
The subject matter is presented in a mundane manner and the perpetually flying fighter plane, which apparently doesn't need oil, is such a massive distraction from realities of war that it begs the question that whether any critics even had the basic sense before awarding it on average 9.5?
Giving it 7 for good visual and sound effects. Watchable but everyone I know has been feeling cheated by the overhype created by the critics. Again, its good but not great at all.… Expand
4 of 10 users found this helpful46
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