Dunkirk IMAX Review

14:19:00



Good Afternoon Lovelies, 

Three years on from Interstellar, Christopher Nolan brings his new film closer to home in a retelling of the WW2 Dunkirk story that continues to shock when told, due to the heroic actions of the soldiers, commanders and British public.

Using familiar faces including Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Sir Kenneth Branagh and a mix of new faces such as Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles, Nolan's film bursts with talented figures who know how to command a screen and give this film the power it deserves. As it is one hell of an emotional ride.

Split into three sections exploring the soldiers on land, in the air and the people from home who came to save them, Dunkirk is a non-linear story that packs a punch. Men trying to find a way off the beach by carrying the injured on to ships and jumping back on them when kicked off and RAF fighters protecting those on the ground from enemy pilots who are bombing their men, the film knows how to make audiences emotions build and build.

When safe areas are believed to be found – for both the characters and the audience members watching - the soldiers face even more heartache, as they try to hide in boats and houses, which end up being disaster zones too. The trust they should have in one another becomes lost in the flowing waves of the beach.

In Dunkirk less is always more for Nolan, who has always been a director who likes to let his characters and audience think rather than speak or hear what others have to say. In Dunkirk, he makes further suspense, as his non-linear story means audiences are never truly sure where they are but stay on the edge of their seats, intent on finding out.

Murphy's shivering soldier is a key example of this, as he is captured in control and out of it within the story, meaning you get to see both sides of the man he plays. Styles' character is another key figure, as he tries to find out who he can trust out of his fellow comrades, leading to the ultimate plot twist.  In fact, Whitehead, Styles and Aneurin Barnard, who plays an army private, have made sure that those watching the film don't forget who they are but with very little use of words or powerful speeches to make them remember able.

There aren't many films were silence is key but in Dunkirk it is everything. Silence brings with it the urgency of getting the men off the beach and back home. Silence is the realisation that Rylance's character faces when he sees his country's men drowning and covered in oil. Silence is the thing that causes fear within all of the soldiers. It is a matter of life and death and Nolan has captured this incredibly well.

Especially on IMAX, which is the key to Nolan's Dunkirk success! The 75mm film captures the length and beauty of the screen inch by inch, as it causes your own emotions to be heightened. When scenes show Hardy's character in the cockpit of his Spitfire, the noises make it feel like you are sat beside him. A similar thing is felt when the young actors are trapped in a boat with the water rising in from enemy bullet holes. Your eyes feel like they are doing a work out trying to make sure they are capturing every little moment of Nolan's story.

One thing audience members have to remember though when watching is that this is a real story. While the words, characters and individual stories are all from Nolan, the action that occurs actually happened. The aftermath the soldiers had to live with was real and many did feel guilt. Something they really shouldn’t have felt. This is a film that is not only dedicated to them and their time on Dunkirk but it is also a film to highlight to a new generation how much the men who were in WW2 were heroes.

Visually stunning and beautifully told, the film is an educational and cinematic feature that will stand the test of time. Especially as an IMAX masterpiece.

Nolan's Dunkirk has earned this huge...

5 Stars

Blog Soon, 
Joey X

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