Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan film
Discussion
I have mixed feelings about Dunkirk, parts of it were excellent, but the way Nolan has messed about with the continuity ended up being a distraction rather than adding to the experience. I too was hoping to get a feel of the epic scale that the rescue was, but it is a more personal story.
gareth h said:
I sw it this afternoon and on the whole found it quite gripping, was a little confused that the "star" little boat headed back to Dorset, surely they all dumped their cargos back at Dover?
Didn't they spend a lot of time ferrying troops to larger vessels rather than take a relatively small number all the way back across the Channel?Guffy said:
I have mixed feelings about Dunkirk, parts of it were excellent, but the way Nolan has messed about with the continuity ended up being a distraction rather than adding to the experience. I too was hoping to get a feel of the epic scale that the rescue was, but it is a more personal story.
Agree with that. Not sure the mixed timelines worked.For me I felt the music was over bearing. Maybe that was the aim. In the IMAX viewing we were at the audio was horrid. Way too loud on the score and yet the voices almost muffled. I thought a lot of the building up or crescendo music just went on for far too long. I was wondering just how big the lungs on the brass band were!
The actual SFX were very good though.
Quite emotional at the end as Churchill's speech was read out, but a film very much of its time with excellent camera work especially the aerial shots. We spotted the 1970s train seats (hard to miss them) and I'm sure the train was on the East Somerset Railway.
Rylance was excellent though as was Ken Branagh.
If I'm honest, despite its flaws I prefer 'Battle of Britain'
Rylance was excellent though as was Ken Branagh.
If I'm honest, despite its flaws I prefer 'Battle of Britain'
I agree about the emotional bit at the end - snippets of Nimrod combined with the soldier reading Churchill's speech were good but what tipped me over into blubbing like a girl was the whole shame thing and how that got resolved (yes I know it's contrived and I'm an old softy 'n' all that)
Saw this yesterday and loved it. One of the best cinema trips I've had I reckon. I would definitely seek out a cinema with a good sound system as the sound is probably 70% of the the experience.
Mind you, I watched in IMAX (my first time
) and agree with the above that the music was sometimes overbearing and distracting. I'm not sure it needed much music at all because the sound elsewhere was so good. Some of the gunshots are terrifying.
I didn't think much of Nolan's Batman films so didn't really consider myself a huge fan, but I'm starting to think my issue was more with Christian Bale than Nolan, because his other films have been well above par.
The time skipping thing was a bit weird but I think worked out in the end, and overall it felt like decent, honest filmmaking unhindered by studio interference.
Mind you, I watched in IMAX (my first time
) and agree with the above that the music was sometimes overbearing and distracting. I'm not sure it needed much music at all because the sound elsewhere was so good. Some of the gunshots are terrifying.I didn't think much of Nolan's Batman films so didn't really consider myself a huge fan, but I'm starting to think my issue was more with Christian Bale than Nolan, because his other films have been well above par.
The time skipping thing was a bit weird but I think worked out in the end, and overall it felt like decent, honest filmmaking unhindered by studio interference.
Boring_Chris said:
What a film BHD was, though. I remember not thinking much of it back in the day (possibly because we'd been spoilt by the scale of Saving Private Ryan, and 'big' war movies were in vogue) but re-watching it on Bluray (and on a massive projector, which helped!) and the scale of that production was unbelievable.
I remember saying to a mate that similar scale war movie might be a long way off. I hope Dunkirk proves me wrong!
I remember it was one of the first DVDs we bought and I spent about 20 minutes going frame by frame through the part where the RPG hits a guy square in the guy I remember saying to a mate that similar scale war movie might be a long way off. I hope Dunkirk proves me wrong!
An ex BA lorry driver I once met claimed he drove the real helicopters to Morocco from Europe. Can't verify it obviously but he was pushing 6'10 and about 20 stone so who was I to argue.
Hoping to see the film this week.
Someone here will know,
But was the spitfire pilot's story real/made up/embellished ?
He was out of juice and gliding right to left, then later is able to turn and take out another of the Luftwaffe before it dive bombs the beach, then goes on to land way down the beach.
This struck me as wrong to be honest. 1) Would that be possible given his height, the point at which he ran out of fuel and having to turn 180 to come back for the attack and 2) why would you land it on the beach in enemy territory, only to destroy it and get taken prisoner? Why wouldn't you just ditch in the sea/bail out and hitch a ride home on the boats? What am I missing?
But was the spitfire pilot's story real/made up/embellished ?
He was out of juice and gliding right to left, then later is able to turn and take out another of the Luftwaffe before it dive bombs the beach, then goes on to land way down the beach.
This struck me as wrong to be honest. 1) Would that be possible given his height, the point at which he ran out of fuel and having to turn 180 to come back for the attack and 2) why would you land it on the beach in enemy territory, only to destroy it and get taken prisoner? Why wouldn't you just ditch in the sea/bail out and hitch a ride home on the boats? What am I missing?
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 24th July 10:34
I thought the 1 week, 1 day, 1 hour thing worked really well, enjoyed the little overlaps as the film closed in in on the 'end'.
I liked the raw, cold, wet feel of it all, loved the score, didn't miss the fact that ragged bits of flesh and blood weren't focused on....I know war is messy, but it appeared to me that the film was purposely made as a 12a to educate as well as inform.... a lot of the audience I sat with were teenagers (mainly girls) who had come I suspect for Harry Styles, he did ok, but obviously only appears for a tiny percentage... and meanwhile the kids get to learn and understand a bit about what their grandparents/great grandparents) went through.
I've never gone and seen a film and ended up seeing the faults, sitting in the cinema mentally tallying the continuity errors, I've managed to just enjoy the experience and maybe get involved in the rush to critique it later...
Dunkirk didn't disappoint. Its equally in your face and subtle in it's message, and for me, Nolan is an artist. Head and shoulders above all other 'mainstream' directors.
I liked the raw, cold, wet feel of it all, loved the score, didn't miss the fact that ragged bits of flesh and blood weren't focused on....I know war is messy, but it appeared to me that the film was purposely made as a 12a to educate as well as inform.... a lot of the audience I sat with were teenagers (mainly girls) who had come I suspect for Harry Styles, he did ok, but obviously only appears for a tiny percentage... and meanwhile the kids get to learn and understand a bit about what their grandparents/great grandparents) went through.
I've never gone and seen a film and ended up seeing the faults, sitting in the cinema mentally tallying the continuity errors, I've managed to just enjoy the experience and maybe get involved in the rush to critique it later...
Dunkirk didn't disappoint. Its equally in your face and subtle in it's message, and for me, Nolan is an artist. Head and shoulders above all other 'mainstream' directors.
Otispunkmeyer said:
Someone here will know,
But was the spitfire pilot's story real/made up/embellished ?
He was out of juice and gliding right to left, then later is able to turn and take out another of the Luftwaffe before it dive bombs the beach, then goes on to land way down the beach.
This struck me as wrong to be honest. 1) Would that be possible given his height, the point at which he ran out of fuel and having to turn 180 to come back for the attack and 2) why would you land it on the beach in enemy territory, only to destroy it and get taken prisoner? Why wouldn't you just ditch in the sea/bail out and hitch a ride home on the boats? What am I missing?
I don't think any of the 3 sub-stories are true in detail......and its a Hollywood movie, as such its 'entertainment' not a documentary, and the reality of any of the situations should be taken with the appropriate pinch of salt.But was the spitfire pilot's story real/made up/embellished ?
He was out of juice and gliding right to left, then later is able to turn and take out another of the Luftwaffe before it dive bombs the beach, then goes on to land way down the beach.
This struck me as wrong to be honest. 1) Would that be possible given his height, the point at which he ran out of fuel and having to turn 180 to come back for the attack and 2) why would you land it on the beach in enemy territory, only to destroy it and get taken prisoner? Why wouldn't you just ditch in the sea/bail out and hitch a ride home on the boats? What am I missing?
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 24th July 10:34
Paul Dishman said:
We spotted the 1970s train seats (hard to miss them) and I'm sure the train was on the East Somerset Railway.
It was filmed on the Swanage railway. To be honest, I didn't realise the coaches were too new, and I was only on one of them a few weeks ago. No doubt my railway buff Dad would have noticed.I've never seen so many older people in the cinema! The lady next to me was having a bit of a cry towards the end, although I must admit that the 'nimrod-ish' music did bring a lump to my throat. Getting soft in my old age...
I absolutely loved it, and have spent the last 24hrs thinking about it, I may need to see it again.
Saw it in IMAX, it really needs to be watched in as big a screen with has good a sound system as possible.
Early days yet, but I think it might have knocked Inception off the top spot as my favourite Nolan film.
My Granddad was a deep sea diver in the war, torpedoed twice, he told me so many horrific stories as a kid, but the one with him watching the guys burning in the sea just after he'd been sunk always stuck with me, that part of the film had me an emotional wreck.
A lot of what you get out a film is what you take in, I had my WW2 mad 11 year old son (who loved it) clinging on to me, whilst explaining to me where all the Spitfires were, and many memories of my Granddad, as such it really did exceeded my expectations.
Saw it in IMAX, it really needs to be watched in as big a screen with has good a sound system as possible.
Early days yet, but I think it might have knocked Inception off the top spot as my favourite Nolan film.
My Granddad was a deep sea diver in the war, torpedoed twice, he told me so many horrific stories as a kid, but the one with him watching the guys burning in the sea just after he'd been sunk always stuck with me, that part of the film had me an emotional wreck.
A lot of what you get out a film is what you take in, I had my WW2 mad 11 year old son (who loved it) clinging on to me, whilst explaining to me where all the Spitfires were, and many memories of my Granddad, as such it really did exceeded my expectations.
Edited by Electronicpants on Monday 24th July 15:17
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