Christopher Nolan’s best thriller is now on Netflix

We’re just a few weeks away from the release of Christopher Nolan’s latest film. oppenheimerSo it’s a perfect chance to catch up with the best of him. Dunkirkis streaming on Netflix.

Dunkirk It tells the true story of the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of British soldiers stranded on the coast of Dunkirk, France, towards the start of World War II. With the Nazis invading from all sides, much of the British army was hopelessly trapped and the war seemed doomed. After all, how could Britain defend itself without an army, let alone fight to help liberate the rest of Europe? But in the eleventh hour, a daring rescue plan materializes as hundreds of civilians cross the strait to help rescue the boys and save the continent.

Nolan never seems to tell another story directly, so he breaks up the rescue story and shows it from different perspectives and different eras. We are the soldiers stranded on the beach for days (Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles), the pilot arriving in the final hours of the climax (excellent Tom Hardy), and his homeboat crew. Track down a certain Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance). Son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Peter’s friend George (Barry Keoghan).

The Dunkirk rescue has already become one of the most incredible and miraculous moments in modern history, but in Nolan’s hands it’s both panic and emotion in equal measure. .Nolan’s True Trick Dunkirkand the advantage of the multiple perspectives he employs all show that this operation was at the same time a massive logistical undertaking and a masterful feat of coordination, but an absolute horror show and chaotic mess. That’s it.

In Nolan’s vision of Dunkirk, the focus never leaves the ground and the individual at the center of the story. A much weaker adaptation would have Winston Churchill order the navy to requisition civilian boats or bring in generals to tell them how important the army is to the war effort. Instead, Nolan gives the viewer the honor we deserve and explains nothing. We are with the soldiers, but they don’t know if someone will come to their rescue. When Kenneth Branagh finally emerges as manager, he’s as hopeful as any player. Branagh helps us see the big picture because he’s staying on the shore hoping to drive the French out next.

Image: Warner Bros. Movies

This kind of perspective provides a stunning view of Dunkirk, the kind of choice only a filmmaker as confident and experienced as Nolan can make. A working Spitfire to make sure the planes in the movie look right.

But despite Nolan’s usual focus on narrative scale and grandeur, it’s often a bit too expository to convey the kind of weight he intends. doctrine, the perfect blockbuster.and Dunkirk, No explanation needed. We see children desperately trying to survive on the beach, the world is at war, and Hans Zimmer’s astonishing clock score shows that every time they stay there, they die one minute at a time. It reminds us of what is coming. It’s harrowing and lucid as day, and the film doesn’t lose focus from there. All good war movies work as horror movies as well, and Nolan knows that simplicity makes things even scarier.