Directed by Christopher Nolan. Reviewed by Paul Sorrell 

The first question I asked about Dunkirk was: “Why now?” Although 2017 is not a special anniversary of the famous 1940 battle on the beaches of northern France, the film may well be a reaction of sorts to Brexit, a contemporary withdrawal from Europe that may prove equally disastrous to Britain. Whatever the case, UK viewers will take heart from a film that draws on the celebrated British spirit of defiance and resilience in the face of adversity.

This is not to say that Dunkirk is in any way a crudely patriotic film. If anything, it is understated in its depiction of the evacuation of more than 300,000 British and French troops following Hitler’s Blitzkrieg through Western Europe in May 1940. While the depiction of heroism is restrained, the horrors of war are clearly shown. Dunkirk conveys the experience of shock, fear and terror of battle with a visceral directness. It is a deeply immersive film: the sounds of war are felt as well as heard. One of the film’s outstanding achievements is the soundtrack: not only is the noise of battle felt in the gut, it is woven into a powerful — sometimes shattering — score.

Director Nolan has chosen to eschew a “top down” treatment of events, based on the perceptions of field marshals, admirals and elite politicians. Instead, he tells the story of Dunkirk through the eyes of people on the ground (or in the air and on the water): a young private soldier, a Spitfire pilot and a middle-aged civilian who captains one of the flotilla of fishing boats and pleasure craft that plied the Channel rescuing abandoned soldiers.

With this emphasis on the experience of individual participants, very little explanation is offered of the political and military background to the events depicted. The nearest the film comes to commentary are the remarks of a senior naval officer (Kenneth Branagh) on the beachhead. When his army counterpart asks where the navy and the air force have got to, he replies that they are being held in reserve to defend the British Isles against the invasion that is expected to follow the debacle on the beaches of France.

While the film has its faults — for example, its failure to credit the French army for keeping German forces at bay while the evacuation proceeded — it treats a pivotal moment in British history with realism and restraint. See it if you can. 

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 219 September 2017: 36.