Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" (July 21, 2017) - Part 2

[DKDetective]

Just got out of an IMAX screening- ended up talking with a man who was really into tanks and whose dad served in World War II- and yeah, IMAX is definitely the way to go here. Makes the whole experience feel very grandiose and Nolan definitely has a great sense of scale here, but he also creates that very claustrophobic feeling. Rarely does the tension let up here and so much emotion is conveyed just through facial expressions, never mind dialogue.

Though I'm left wondering, and I guess I'll ask it in spoiler tags since the film is fresh, but...

Spoiler

Why didn't Tom Hardy just eject at the end? Was he just content with what he'd done and accept that he'll probably just be a POW for a few years?He would've easily been saved or helped by any of the soldiers he saved and unlike his comrade, his cockpit wasn't jammed.

They didn't have ejection seats in early WWII fighters. You had to get up and bale out on your own. Also, they were flying too low to bale out anyways.

 

[Brother Jack]

Because [BLACKOUT]getting caught was part of his plan[/BLACKOUT].

Spoiler

Crashing this plane... WITH ONE SURVIVOR

Seriously though, Hardy got a raw deal. To have survived all of that and saved the day multiple times, even when he didn't have fuel, finally landing the plane successfully, and still getting captured. That along with the final shot highlight the tragedy that undercuts the whole thing. That even though they survived, just as Cillian Murphy's character, they'll never be the same. It's bittersweet. They'll carry the experience with them always.

 

[BaelaTargaryen]

Cinemascore A-.

 

[Consona]

So am I the only one who thinks Dunkirk is rather weak in comparison to his masterpieces like TDK, Interstellar, Prestige or Memento? Even Following was much better IMO.

 

[flickchick85]

So am I the only one who thinks Dunkirk is rather weak in comparison to his masterpieces like TDK, Interstellar, Prestige or Memento? Even Following was much better IMO.

It's right in the middle for me:

1.) The Prestige
2.) TDK
3.) Memento
4.) Inception
5.) Dunkirk
6.) The Dark Knight Rises
7.) Interstellar
8.) Insomnia
9.) Batman Begins
10.) Following

 

[titansupes]

Not sure where I'd rank it yet. It's such a different beast compared to his other films. I'm sure I'd rank TDK, The Prestige and TDKR and Memento above it, because I friggin' love those movies. But after that they're relatively even for me.

 

[Consona]

I mean, take Memento, Prestige or even Following, such a devilishly clever screenplays, this "intense" everybody's talking about here was done much better in those films, it's wow moment after wow moment after wow moment and when those films end, you don't even know what your name is, you just sit there, jaw on the floor, mind blown. Dunkirk was nowhere near this.

Nolan should has won the oscar for TDK as a best director and writer. Dunkirk is not that good in any of those categories.

 

[flickchick85]

I mean, take Memento, Prestige or even Following, such a devilishly clever screenplays, this "intense" everybody's talking about here was done much better in those films, it's wow moment after wow moment after wow moment and when those films end, you don't even know what your name is, you just sit there, jaw on the floor, mind blown. Dunkirk was nowhere near this.

Could not disagree more. Yes, this screenplay was barebones compared to those, but that was 100% intentional. This was one of the most stressful movies I've ever experienced. Definitely his most intense for me.

 

[Consona]

This was one of the most stressful movies I've ever experienced. Definitely his most intense for me.

Really? Interesting, it was the opposite for me.

 

[OutOfBoose]

Enjoyment:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Batman Begins
3. Inception
4. The Dark Knight Rises
5. Dunkirk
6. Prestige
7. Memento
8. Insomnia
9. Following
10. Interstellar

Quality:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Memento
3. Prestige
4. Dunkirk
5. Batman Begins
6. Following
7. Inception
8. The Dark Knight Rises
9. Insomnia
10. Interstellar

I think the second half of the movie suffers, especially the third/final act (typical Nolan problem). Which is more or less salvaged by the finale. So yeah, enjoyed Dunkirk great deal, but it's somewhere in the middle for me as well. Which isn't bad, because Nolan in general is a great filmmaker and his weak films are in the very end of the list.

 

[Consona]

I thought second half of Dunkirk was much stronger than the first half.

 

[rashad]

Whispers of a $22million Friday.

 

[Filmfan93]

Watched it yesterday in standard digital.

Nolan has done it again. One of the best war films I've ever seen. The visuals, the sound design (those gunshots) - all top notch. The tension builds up and never lets go. The Air timeline is probably my favourite due to the incredible Spitfire scenes. You could feel the heaviness and slowliness of the Spitfires trying to turn and aim on those Stuka's.

The 3 timelines and their converging near the end was a very smart move although it got me a bit confused one time (was that [BLACKOUT]Cillian[/BLACKOUT] evacuating soldiers at night during the Mole timeline and how did he end up with a crashed plane at the sea?

Enjoyed Fionn and Hardy's performance. Branagh and Murphy were top notch as usual and Styles can act.

Seeing it for a 2nd time tomorrow - this time in LieMax. Can't wait!

9.5/10

 

[Enriquespy]

Loved it. It takes a bit to get used to the nonstandard storytelling. But yeah, magnificent film.

Also, Tom Hardy is now my official Man-crush.

 

[BlackFox]

I may be biased being British, but this film is ****ing incredible. It may not work for everyone but damn if I wasnt punching the air with delight at how it ended. Yes its not a conventional film, pockets of dialouge, little/no backstory, just men in a horrible situation fighting to stay alive. So many tense and frightening scenes all done without having to show you the blood and guts like a lot in the genre rely upon.

From minute 1, its like just the third act of a film played out in one film, everything building to those final moments. (and that score man - damn)

Nolan is the Rockstar Games of film making, his eye for detail is second to none. I need to stop now so I dont over gush (Nolanites eh!) but this was top drawer and can not wait to see it all again. Hope we get to see Nolan's Bond one day.

9.5/10

 

[Deserana]

I'll not be seeing this till next Saturday ad I'm waiting to see it in full imax but question for those who have seen it, have all the standout moments been put in the trailers or is there far more to experience?

 

[NotNickFury]

No, this definitely kept some of the better and even surprise moments out of the trailers in my opinion.

 

[harlequinade]

I'll not be seeing this till next Saturday ad I'm waiting to see it in full imax but question for those who have seen it, have all the standout moments been put in the trailers or is there far more to experience?

Trailers didn't spoil or ruin anything at all

Because [BLACKOUT]getting caught was part of his plan[/BLACKOUT].

!!!!

Loved it. It takes a bit to get used to the nonstandard storytelling. But yeah, magnificent film.

Also, Tom Hardy is now my official Man-crush.

You have good taste

 

[Consona]

(and that score man - damn)

You mean that synth loop and ticking watches over and over and over again? To me the film felt like "let the ticking be faster now so the film feels more intense". And the soundtrack felt like Zimmer spent one of his sunday afternoons trying his new Zebra synth patch. t: Sry, Hans. t:

Man I really have this huge cognitive dissonance right now, everybody raves about this intense film and I'm like, I cannot believe this was a Nolan film...

 

[OutOfBoose]

Soundtrack was amazing. And the magic moment: [blackout]once they're at home - it stops[/blackout].

 

[NotNickFury]

The 3 timelines and their converging near the end was a very smart move although it got me a bit confused one time (was that [BLACKOUT]Cillian[/BLACKOUT] evacuating soldiers at night during the Mole timeline and how did he end up with a crashed plane at the sea?

If I had to guess, and I could be wrong, that might have been a brief flashback and took place before he wound up in the sea.

 

[BlackFox]

You mean that synth loop and ticking watches over and over and over again? To me the film felt like "let the ticking be faster now so the film feels more intense". And the soundtrack felt like Zimmer spent one of his sunday afternoons trying his new Zebra synth patch. t: Sry, Hans. t:

Man I really have this huge cognitive dissonance right now, everybody raves about this intense film and I'm like, I cannot believe this was a Nolan film...

Yes it was simple in some terms but it worked and fit in with the fairly simple and straight forward story being told, the tension was there is spades, at least for me, guess it just didnt work out for you.

Soundtrack was amazing. And the magic moment: [blackout]once they're at home - it stops[/blackout].

Yeah, again, simple but highly effective.

 

[OutOfBoose]

Man I really have this huge cognitive dissonance right now, everybody raves about this intense film and I'm like, I cannot believe this was a Nolan film...

 

[Kreem Pi]

The soundmixing of the soundtrack is insane. It's mixed like it's part of the ambiance of the setting. You start to wonder if it's the horn of the score or the horns of a ship. Much like how Nolan has taken his style to its essential purity, so has Zimmer. He has experimented with score as sound effects in other films before, but never to this degree. I was listening to the score of the film on youtube and it sounds dramatically different in the film because of how it's mixed.

 

[BatLobster]

A 51M+ opening weekend and A- Cinemascore bodes well for the overall success of this movie. Nolan's films tend to have legs, and that's a higher Cinemascore than Inception and Interstellar.

I honestly really did not expect Dunkirk to have a higher opening weekend in July than Interstellar did in November. Even with the boost of Styles fans, that is damn impressive for a World War II movie smack dab in the middle of the summer season.