Dunkirk (2017)
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The film depicts the harrowing Dunkirk evacuation of World War II from the perspectives of those on land, sea, and air.
The story
In the summer of 1940, during the Battle of France, Allied soldiers retreat to Dunkirk. The narrative follows a British soldier named Tommy as he flees through a perimeter held by French troops to the beach, where thousands await evacuation. The film portrays the evacuation with little dialogue, focusing on the tension of the situation through cinematography and music. The story is told from three perspectives: one week on the beach, one day in the rescue flotilla, and one hour of the air battle. These disparate storylines eventually converge as the soldiers face the dangers of the sea and the constant threat of the Luftwaffe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the summer of 1940, during the Battle of France, Allied soldiers retreat to Dunkirk. Tommy, a British soldier, flees to the beach and joins others like Gibson and the Highlander Alex. They face a series of desperate situations, including being trapped on a sinking ship and a grounded trawler. Meanwhile, a civilian boat, the Moonstone, piloted by Dawson, attempts to reach the beach to save soldiers. In the air, RAF pilots Farrier and Collins fly toward Dunkirk to provide cover, battling the Luftwaffe with limited fuel. The narrative follows these three threads: the soldiers on the beach, the rescue flotilla at sea, and the pilots in the air. As the tide rises and the threat of German aircraft looms, the characters face life-or-death decisions. Ultimately, the men are evacuated to England, where they are met by a cheering public. Farrier, after running out of fuel, manages to land on the beach but is captured by German forces. The film concludes with Tommy reading a newspaper that quotes Churchill's address to Parliament, signaling Britain's resolve to continue the fight.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Christopher Nolan
- Writers
- Christopher Nolan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Fionn Whitehead · Tommy; Tom Glynn-Carney; Jack Lowden; Harry Styles; Aneurin Barnard; James D'Arcy; Barry Keoghan; Kenneth Branagh; Cillian Murphy; Mark Rylance; Tom Hardy
- Genres
- war; drama
- Themes
- survival; war; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful
- Setting
- Dunkirk, France and the English Channel during the summer of 1940.
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; war; non-linear narrative
- Source material / true-story basis
- Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture by Joshua Levine
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, with some critics calling it Nolan's best work and one of the greatest war films. It was praised for its screenplay, direction, editing, score, sound design, and cinematography.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 469; Metacritic · score: 94 · scale: 100 · review count: 53; MRQE · score: 86 · scale: 100 · review count: 128; PostTrak · score: 88% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Best Editing · Critics' Choice Awards · Win
- Production trivia
- The film used over 50 real ships, including some of the original Little Ships of Dunkirk.; The film was shot on IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film stock.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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