There are a lot of general expectations for a Christopher Nolan film, not limited to what it will look and sound like. His idea of how to put together a World War II story conjures up images of grand battle sequences, brain twisting special effects scenes, and sweeping IMAX vistas accompanied by a Hans Zimmer score that roars and ticks like a trailer music making machine. A lot of this is entirely true here, and there are still plenty of tilting set rigs, time twisting narrative choices, and blaring electronic noises. But it's seeing how these elements are utilised that means all of this is still just as exciting as it was last time around. Best of all the grand scale of the central wartime disaster is mixed with a lot of smaller, intimate, intertwined stories that are all totally compelling.
When considering the usual tropes of a story like this it's interesting to see what is absent. There are no shots of enemy troops. Bullets fly from unseen weapons as French and British troops duck for cover. German fighters and dive bombers are seen coming in to attack but they are viewed only from the side of their targets. It's one of several decisions that make a story which has been told on the screen before so harrowing. The one sided perspective creates a sense of unparalleled tension and despair as thousands of soldiers try to survive explosives and sea water. There are a lot of tricks all the way through that lend it the atmosphere of not just a war film, but a bleak and often claustrophobic suspense tale.
A lot of this is emphasised by the sound design and music choices. In many sequences there are very few spoken words, and we're left with a constantly ticking, pulsing score that serves as both an audible clock and a racing heartbeat. It recreates the effect of running footsteps and hammering pistons, sometimes adding to the sound of struggling boat engines and clashing metal. In the few occasions that it begins to resemble actual music it suddenly shifts to become a distorted warning siren. Along with the nightmarish sounds of incoming planes fitted with Jericho Trumpet devices and and the screeches of falling bombs, the overall mood is something that never lets up until the very end. It recreates an atmosphere of horror without ever being brutal or gory.
The story itself is very straightforward, as the allied forces become trapped against the sea without the naval support needed to rescue them. But of course the way it's all structured is what makes this feel so engrossing, as time is shared out between characters on land, air and sea. The ordeal of the ground troops led by Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) will last one week, as text on screen displays early on. Meanwhile civilian boats requisitioned for a rescue operation including mariner Dawson (Mark Rylance) have one day to cross the water to try and aide them. Above them RAF pilot Farrier (Tom Hardy) and his squadron have one hour of fuel to engage Luftwaffe and help as much as possible. Some have too much time while others race against it.
These multiple countdowns make it all seem convoluted when it's described this way, but once things are all moving it's a great spin on the time expanding ideas used in Christopher Nolan's past features. The planes are desperate to save lives efficiently, while the stranded soldiers are trapped for what seems like an eternity. It all comes together naturally once the visual clues are apparent. But what really makes this complex series of events come together is the way each section uses sympathetic characters to tell relatable stories. Small groups of men hide in grounded ships as bullet holes threaten to drown them as the tide comes in, pilots have to consider using up all their fuel or turning back, and young children from the English coast encounter the cost of war first hand.
Of course there is a huge amount of visual spectacle, whether it's battles between the navy and air-force or troops trying to evade Stuka attacks, but they're combined with elements that are smaller and personal, boosting their effectiveness. All of these tightly wound human elements and the big fiery set pieces are packed into what is a surprisingly brisk running time, which is actually pretty refreshing to see in an age where every blockbuster feels like it's over two hours long. Without counting credits this is 90 minutes of pure ratcheting tension and drama wrapped in smoke, oil and bad Atlantic weather. Those moments of relief in which some cleverly inserted pieces of classical Elgar make an appearance are saved right until the very end, in which the true life heroics of sailors and pleasure boat owners come along.
Overall though this is a fairly relentless, stripped down wartime thriller without any fat whatsoever, a story that shows the good and bad in humanity without ever becoming preachy or sentimental. Nolan has sometimes been criticised for his cold, mechanical feeling films but these are the strengths here exactly when they need to be, making those glimpses of warmth in the third act all the more effective. This isn't another high concept science fiction story, but it takes many aspects of what made those work so well and moulds them into new and exciting new shapes. Considering how well known this period in history is known even just in cinema that's no small feat. This is an excellent piece of work from a director at his best.
4/5
