The film “Dunkirk” (2017) is a historical drama based on real events that has already fallen in love with many moviegoers. The film was directed by Christopher Nolan, a recognized master of action films and thrillers. The plot of the film "Dunkirk" describes a real military operation to rescue soldiers of units of allies who ended up in a blocked Dunkirk. Many critics consider the film a real masterpiece in the genre of military drama and the best picture of Nolan in his entire career. Such a recommendation already clearly indicates that the film is worth watching.
Production
Director Christopher Nolan conceived the film back in the mid-1990s. He wrote a draft version of the script, which he subsequently corrected several times.
The director shot the film from three sides - from land, sea and air. He wanted the stories and tragedies of the characters in "Dunkirk" to be shown visually, and the viewer felt their emotions on himself, and not through dialogs or long histories. During the writing of the script, Nolan learned many historical facts and approached the studies as seriously as if he was about to shoot a documentary. To convey the point of view of soldiers for whom contact with the enemy was quick and extremely limited, the director decided not to show the Germans on the screen.
The scientific consultant of the painting was the writer and historian Joshua Levin. Together with Nolan, he attended an interview with veterans. Levin was so inspired by the events of the Dunkir operation that he wrote a book about her, Dunkirk: A Story of Survival.
Preparation for filming began in January 2016. Under the contract, Christopher Nolan was supposed to get $ 20 million for directing and scripting, but later he agreed to a more modest fee of 20% of the box office. As it turned out, he did not lose, because “Dunkirk” collected more than $ 500 million at the box office.
Cast
In the course of research into Operation Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan found out how young and inexperienced the soldiers were to survive those events. It was this that influenced his decision to give the main roles of Dunkirk to young and little-known actors - Finn Whitehead and Tom Glynn-Karni. He also decided that all the actors involved in the film would certainly be English. Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance expressed interest in the project at the end of 2015. As a result, these famous actors were approved for the roles of Farrier, Commander Bolton and Dawset, respectively. Another Hollywood star, Michael Kane, voiced a voice in a radio announcement.
Finn Whitehead was selected for the key role in March 2016, while other Dunkirk actors - Jack Lowden, Anerin Barnard and Harry Styles - joined the project shortly after. The following month, Killian Murphy was approved for a small soldier role.
In April 2016, all the actors of “Dunkirk” were selected, it was possible to start shooting.
Film work
The filming process began on May 23, 2016 in Dunkirk. The next four weeks of shooting took place in Urke (Netherlands). All work in Dunkirk took place at the place of the actual evacuation, and street scenes were shot in the neighboring town of Malo les Bains, since most of the buildings in Dunkirk were destroyed during the war. Universal Pictures Studios in Los Angeles was used to film sinking ships and aircraft.
The director decided to minimize the use of computer graphics for more drama and realism, so real reconstructed ships and planes were provided for filming.
Plot
The plot of the film "Dunkirk" is based on the real story of the evacuation of the French and Belgian units after the siege of the Dutch city of Dunkirk by German troops in May 1940. Events begin with the siege of Dunkirk and the capture of Allied forces in a tight ring. The soldiers find themselves in an unenviable position - there are enemies around, their defense cannot be broken in any way, and it is not known whether to wait for help.
Critic reviews
Film critics have always loved Christopher Nolan's paintings, and Dunkirk was no exception. Their reviews were enthusiastic. They praised both the script, and excellent directing, and compliance with key historical facts. Some critics even called Dunkirk the best Nolan movie, even though he shot such masterpieces as The Dark Knight, Prestige, and The Beginning. Rolling Stone's film reviewer Peter Travers said of Dunkirk, which is arguably the greatest war movie ever made. There is no doubt that Nolan, without undue sentiment, raised this genre to the level of art ... with the resonant power of a solid screen classic. He also named the tape the first major Oscar winner of the year.
As for the actors of Dunkirk, even then the critics were unanimous - despite the fact that the main roles were played by young and little-known actors Finn Whitehead and Tom Glynn-Karni, they coped with the tasks. Other actors, more famous and experienced, also fit perfectly into this complex military drama.
Judging by the reviews of film critics, the director and actors of Dunkirk will be awarded many prestigious film awards. Perhaps Christopher Nolan will finally receive his well-deserved Oscar.
Box office
Like previous films directed by Christopher Nolan, the film “Dunkirk” (2017) won the love of viewers around the world and became a box office hit. In the USA and Canada, the tape raised $ 188 million at the box office, in other countries - $ 227 million. Total box office revenues amounted to 525 million, which can be called a tremendous success for the military drama. The Dunkirk film became the highest grossing film about World War II in the history of cinema, breaking the long-standing record of Steven Spielberg’s cult picture “Saving Private Ryan”.