Rent Dunkirk (2017)

Stirring war drama - Dunkirk review by Alphaville

An impressionistic, mostly wordless, drama about the Allied retreat from Dunkirk in 1940. There’s little new in its depiction of aerial dog-fights, sinking boats and evacuation logistics, nor any one lead character to root for, yet it works.

An initially confusing time conceit soon works beautifully to interleave events in the air (covering one hour), at sea (one day) and on the beach (one week). The main criticism is that there’s too much intercutting between different story lines. Letting a scene play out in its own time would have better enabled our involvement in it to grow.

Unlike in Saving Private Ryan, scenes of heroism and tragedy are shown in an understated way, given dramatic force by their matter-of-factness, allowing the viewer to supply the emotion. This gives space for the incredible story to speak for itself, aided by a rousingly strident Hanz Zimmer score that avoids his usual pomposity. The movie isn’t a classic but, in the hands of imaginative writer/director Christopher Nolan, it’s a stirring watch.

Odd mix! - Dunkirk review by CB

Read a less than glowing review of this film by Kevin Maher of The Times. Surprising considering almost every other critic gave glowing reports.

Well,

I got to side more with KM. The action sequences, well noisy and accompanied what I thought was a great score by Hans were good but mainly strangely uninvolving- there were even short periods when I got bored. There was a distinct lack of emotional involvement with the main characters, excepting the RAF crews who were better portrayed.

I gave it 4 stars because it had drama by the bucket load and was well filmed.

Moving - Dunkirk review by CP Customer

Beautifully shot and very moving film.. brought home the reality of war. Very emotional without being slushy .

Dirk Bogarde could have done better. - Dunkirk review by NC

Have to confess, Jack Hawkins and co had these war films taped up. Compared to Private Ryan, was like a film made for TV. As another critic has pointed out, was like a meet on Weston Super Mare beach. The average Tommy was portrayed as a modern style misery from the estate. Having met "Tommy" as a kid living in a pub in the 50's, they were stoic and good humoured. A lot had a better time in the war than they did at home! For some it remained the pinnacle of their existence. One day working long hours in terrible factory conditions, walking or biking miles to work in all weathers (with no Barbour jacket and Hunter boots), and the next driving a tank in the desert . Some truly remarkable stories of survival, and terrible pain and death as well.

Dunkirk appeared to be another colossal management balls up, with the error dumped on Tommy and Jack Tar......as always......How come the Germans failed to wipe them all out is a mystery.

Have seen the little boats that went from even the Thames estuary to get troops back, and although the numbers they actually brought were small compared to other transports, their courage and resource was amazing. I wish just half of that spirit could be mustered up today. When you see the gang crime in London it makes one wonder........a land fit for heroes??

Overrated - Dunkirk review by DJ

The film seemed to be split into little stories which didn't really connect with each other. The acting was somewhat wooden and the dialogue , as little as was planned , was bordering on boring. Of each of the little stories none really offered much in way of drama , thought provoking or even shock at fearful events. Too much of too little.

Older films concentrated on the true horror of the anticipated , and realised , carnage on the beach , the terror of the sounds of the incoming planes and then the hope , etched on the faces of the stranded soldiers , when they caught sight of the little boats.

That was all that what happened at Dunkirk was. To portray that as a single , well acted storyline of an actual horrific event was all that was needed and was what previous films had done.

Probably 50% of the filmgoers/renters bought in simply because of the popularity of Harry Styles , and there was nothing to write home about with his acting.

If you want to see a fact based film with superb acting , tension , horror and gripping drama I suggest you watch Kajaki , brilliant and VERY underated

Not A Classic - Dunkirk review by DH

Following some pretty positive reviews from critics, I was looking forward to Dunkirk but found it wanting to be honest. The scenes of soldiers forming orderly queues on the beach, with only one Stuka attack shown struck me as curiously unrealistic, I am sure it was a much more bloody and chaotic scene than was portrayed, perhaps closer to the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan.

As it was, Dunkirk seemed curiously free of Germans. The was also a distinct overall lack of scale in the number of boats, almost like they were trying to conceal a low budget. Not very coherent in the story telling either. It was OK, but far from the blockbuster classic that has been trailed.

So-so flim about Dunkirk with starry cast but the 1950s film was better all round - Dunkirk review by PV

So this has a starry cast - and famous names - but the modest black and white film of Dunkirk from the 1950s, I think - is just the better film and the better drama.

This film is bitty and rather messy - and never do you get the sense of 400,000 men waiting on the beaches for help. Sometimes it feels like there's 200 there - and maybe only 3 planes in the RAF. I think this is because the director wanted to 'keep it real' and have no CGI for the plans BUT just watch the wonderful BATTLE OF BRITAIN film from about 1973, I think, to see how glorious plane dogfight sequences can be.

Good in parts. Some scenes. But overall not a great watch. Which is a shame because Britain fighting WWII for over 2 years before the USA joined in (and Russia too) was when Britain really did save the world - and all Brits should rightly be proud of that, and the world should thank Britain for evermore.

2 stars