Dunkrik (2017)

[DieselDaisy]

(Modern) American ww2 films tend to be directed in the same style: lots of Copelandesque music; lots of slow-motion shots of soldiers looking out of sorts and bewildered; even more so, ''why we fight'' speeches. I blame Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

Personally I miss war films that were chocks away and consisted of people like David Niven and Richard Burton doing espionage missions.

[Amir]

Very good. See it in 70mm IMAX if you can.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Amir

[Axl_morris]

Mixed feelings but going to see it again in 70mm.

I thought there was too much time spent in the air and not enough on the beach. Dunkirk wasn't really remembered for its Arial battles but you would think this was the Battle of Britain. 

Anyway the film was shot in a style I wasn't expecting, little dialogue and there was a score playing throughout the entire film and some of it was off putting.

This isn't your typical Hollywood war movie - far from it. Theres no woman back home or any of that nonsense. 

It was good to see young actors instead of 35 year olds pretending they're 20. 

Some great scenes of tension and sinking ship scenes were filmed to perfection. 

Finally it's good to see the story out there, as most of today's youth don't know about this event. Big Hollywood budget focusing on the British Army is ultra rare in today's cinema so I enjoyed that aspect that Nolan bothered to do it. The film is far from an epic and in places felt more like a documentary than a film.

[Georgy Zhukov]

2 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

(Modern) American ww2 films tend to be directed in the same style: lots of Copelandesque music; lots of slow-motion shots of soldiers looking out of sorts and bewildered; even more so, ''why we fight'' speeches. I blame Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

Personally I miss war films that were chocks away and consisted of people like David Niven and Richard Burton doing espionage missions.

 

What about A Bridge Too Far? 

[Georgy Zhukov]

43 minutes ago, Axl_morris said:

Mixed feelings but going to see it again in 70mm.

I thought there was too much time spent in the air and not enough on the beach. Dunkirk wasn't really remembered for its Arial battles but you would think this was the Battle of Britain. 

It was good to see young actors instead of 35 year olds pretending they're 20.

Some great scenes of tension and sinking ship scenes were filmed to perfection. 

Finally it's good to see the story out there, as most of today's youth don't know about this event. Big Hollywood budget focusing on the British Army is ultra rare in today's cinema so I enjoyed that aspect that Nolan bothered to do it. The film is far from an epic and in places felt more like a documentary than a film.

 

Dunkirk isn't known for ariel battles, this is true, but the RAF was crucial to the rescue of the 338,000 Allied soldiers trapped on the beach and the harbor. Sir Hugh Dowding who was Air Marshal of Fighter Command didn't want to commit any fighters to The Battle of France as it was a lost battle, but did send squadrons to protect the lads on the beach and on the ships. They were under constant harassment from the Lufftwaffe. 

 

It is great they got young actors to play the soldiers, except for Cillian Murphy. It goes to show that Hollywood will throw money at any project that has Nolan's name attatched to it. 

[OmarBradley]

3 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

(Modern) American ww2 films tend to be directed in the same style: lots of Copelandesque music; lots of slow-motion shots of soldiers looking out of sorts and bewildered; even more so, ''why we fight'' speeches. I blame Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

Personally I miss war films that were chocks away and consisted of people like David Niven and Richard Burton doing espionage missions.

Play Dirty and The Sea Wolves come to mind.

[DieselDaisy]

35 minutes ago, Georgy Zhukov said:

 

Dunkirk isn't known for ariel battles, this is true, but the RAF was crucial to the rescue of the 338,000 Allied soldiers trapped on the beach and the harbor. Sir Hugh Dowding who was Air Marshal of Fighter Command didn't want to commit any fighters to The Battle of France as it was a lost battle, but did send squadrons to protect the lads on the beach and on the ships. They were under constant harassment from the Lufftwaffe. 

 

It is great they got young actors to play the soldiers, except for Cillian Murphy. It goes to show that Hollywood will throw money at any project that has Nolan's name attatched to it. 

Because of cloud cover none of the army could see Fighter Command fighting the Luftwaffe, and there were reports of soldiers lynching pilots after the operation - because the odd Stuka did get through. This prompted Churchill to personally cite the RAF in his speech in the Commons. Churchill incidentally gave the order for the able-bodied to be given priority over the wounded during the evacuation because they'd need every fighting man they'd get; it was one of his hardest decisions of the war - well, that and sinking the French fleet at Mers el Kébir.

[DieselDaisy]

My favourite war film is Force 10 from Navarone, the superior sequel to Guns of Navarone. Agent Grant and Harrison Ford. Barbara Bach gets her tits out, and then Jaws and Apollo Creed turn up.

[Amir]

5 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

there were reports of soldiers lynching pilots after the operation - because the odd Stuka did get through. 

This is referenced in one of the last scenes of the film.

[DieselDaisy]

4 hours ago, Amir said:

This is referenced in one of the last scenes of the film.

Yes but there was this huge air war happening above the clouds which the soldiers couldn't see. One of the reasons for the infamous ''halt'' order is Goring promised Hitler that he'd finish off the BEF with his Luftwaffe.

[arnold layne]

I am conflicted with Christopher Nolan. Inception was great but on the other hand Interstellar was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. 

[Axl_morris]

still have a few questions for those that have seen it.

 

What was Nolan trying to achieve by making the dialogue so quiet? Some scenes I couldn't even hear what was being said.

What was with the distorted sound in the spitfire scenes, yet some how continued on civilian boat scene. It wasn't melodic it was just distortion.

Those two points let the film down for me.

 

Edited July 22, 2017 by Axl_morris

[AtariLegend]

5 hours ago, arnold layne said:

Interstellar was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. 

Maybe stick with films like Scary Movie in the future?

I'm sure there's plenty of Adam Sandler movies on netflix that might meet your taste instead.

Edited July 22, 2017 by AtariLegend

[ZoSoRose]

Saw it last night and thought it was quite good. I was very impressed with the set design and sound design.

[tsinindy]

On 7/22/2017 at 1:00 AM, arnold layne said:

I am conflicted with Christopher Nolan. Inception was great but on the other hand Interstellar was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. 

haha, see I feel the opposite as I thought Inception was terrible and Interstellar was well...stellar

[appetite4illusions]

Saw Dunkirk and Valerian in the same day.

 

I thought I was going to love Dunkirk and groan at Valerian, really, the opposite was true. Dunkirk is masterful from a technical level, but has nothing to say about it's characters. I know people will say that the best (or most cherished) war films aren't about character at all. There's minimal dialogue, little effort made to distinguish the characters beyond what they do on the screen; run away from trouble.

That shit chaps my butt. I want to be invested in the people on screen. With Dunkirk, I didn't know a single character's name, nor did I care at all, by the end credits. The best thing I can say about it is that it has masterful cinematography and very effective editing. 

[AtariLegend]

Seen Dunkirk today. One of my favorite films this decade. 

Great film making, wish I seen it on IMAX.

As for the complaints I see about characters or comparisons to Saving Private Ryan. I though this was a bit more realistic. You're not supposed to know the characters or there background, the likely hood most of the people on that beach didn't grow up together. Taking 15 minutes out in the middle of a shoot out for a bunch of strangers to introduce themselves to each other would have detracted from tension. 

It's not a story about individuals. 

It also feels very different to any other war film I've seen in the cinema.

Spoiler

(You don't even see German soldiers except for a split second near the very end).

Also those gun shots through out the film on loud speakers are very effective.

Just a thing on the suggestion that this is about the glorification of Britain. I don't get that, you get the worst and best of people in those situations.

Edited July 24, 2017 by AtariLegend

[DieselDaisy]

Do you not see, Atari, that the BEF escaping like that was a missed opportunity in European integration?

[AtariLegend]

You know it's fascinating how many times a full UK/France union has been proposed over the last century and usually scoffed out at by the right in both countries. I think the 1950's proposal even specifically suggested the Queen would remain head of state.

Ironically it's was the ECC/European Union which probably changed the narrative in history. Enough about politics though.

One last thing on the lack of dialogue with the soldiers. It does kind of pay of if you remember, but there's a few points where your left wandering if certain people British or German.

Spoiler

It pays off too, when it turns out when you find out that Gibson is French and is just wearing a British uniform to get on a ship and off the beach. Gibson if you're confused is the character you meet at the start of the film burying a body in the sand that follows Tommy around.

I actually think Nolan could have went all out and had a silent film except for the gun fire. Would have been an interesting experiment.

Edited July 25, 2017 by AtariLegend

[DieselDaisy]

5 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

You know it's fascinating how many times a full UK/France union has been proposed over the last century and usually scoffed out at by the right in both countries. I think the 1950's proposal even specifically suggested the Queen would remain head of state.

I think a Briton would sooner commit suicide, and in fact so would a Frenchman.

You do realise it was De Gaulle who vetoed Britain's first attempt to join the EEC (as it was then)?

[AtariLegend]

29 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

I think a Briton would sooner commit suicide, and in fact so would a Frenchman.

You do realise it was De Gaulle who vetoed Britain's first attempt to join the EEC (as it was then)?

I said it was discussed various times during the last century, not that it's going to happen tomorrow. You can hold off killing yourself just yet.

Anyway, look at it from this perspective;

1;) French women>British women.

2;) England might have had a decent football team.

 

[DieselDaisy]

3 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

I said it was discussed various times during the last century, not that it's going to happen tomorrow. You can hold off killing yourself just yet.

Anyway, look at it from this perspective;

1;) French women>British women.

2;) England might have had a decent football team.

 

Hairy pits?

[IndiannaRose]

On 7/21/2017 at 4:48 PM, DieselDaisy said:

(Modern) American ww2 films tend to be directed in the same style: lots of Copelandesque music; lots of slow-motion shots of soldiers looking out of sorts and bewildered; even more so, ''why we fight'' speeches. I blame Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

Personally I miss war films that were chocks away and consisted of people like David Niven and Richard Burton doing espionage missions.

What did you think of Fury?

[The Holographic Universe]

On 7/11/2017 at 4:52 AM, DieselDaisy said:

I wouldn't know. I try to avoid modern Hollywood films.

Why?

[Dan H.]

1 hour ago, The Holographic Universe said:

Why?

Because he's better than you, peasant.