Dunkirk is one of the most enduring and inspiring war films of all time. As the story of the evacuation of British and Commonwealth troops from the German-occupied coast of France, it’s a harrowing story of courage and sacrifice. In the first part of this article, we discussed the characters, storyline, and setting of the film. We also discussed Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of a “shivering soldier”.
Characters
Characters of Dunkirk have a particular relationship with time, and the filmmakers who crafted this film are no exception. While the film shares a lot of time-bending DNA with “Dark Knight” and “Inception,” this film is a much more earthy affair. Despite the film’s time-bending aspects, it’s also a story of ordinary soldiers struggling to survive in a desperate situation.
Dunkirk’s characters make or break the film. Many of the young actors are unknowns who give excellent performances, including Harry Styles. Despite his limited screen time, Styles delivers an emotional performance. But many of the other characters don’t have real personalities and feel like pawns in a larger game. Meanwhile, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy feel like a waste of talent due to the rehearsed dialogue and limited screen time.
The film portrays the chaotic evacuation, the dirty scramble for a safe harbor, and the hope that a miracle would save the lives of those trapped in Dunkirk. The plot of Dunkirk is divided into three intercut chapters, with each focusing on one particular aspect of the evacuation.
Storyline
In the film Dunkirk, two British fighter pilots, Tom Collins and Peter Farrier, are dispatched to Dunkirk to save the Allied troops from German attack. They are accompanied by an unnamed Squadron leader. As they near Dunkirk, Collins and Farrier are attacked by a German dive bomber. Collins, in a panic, attempts to escape the plane, but Collins is too soaked in water to exit. Fortunately, Peter Dawson’s boat arrives and pulls him out of the cockpit. Other private British boats arrive and save more men.
Dunkirk is a World War II film about thousands of Allied soldiers stranded on a beach in France in 1940. They are attacked by Nazi Germans from all sides, and their only hope is a ferried ship. The film follows three parallel narratives: the first, which focuses on Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), the second on Gibson (Mark Rylance), and the third on a Spitfire pilot (Tom Hardy). Each is a compelling tale of survival in a war-torn town.
The film was also one of Nolan’s most complex films. The director’s first feature film, it was released in 2003, and it has earned numerous accolades. The film’s success is partly due to the high level of technical detail and the emotional depth of its characters.
Cillian Murphy’s “Shivering Soldier”
Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Dunkirk, is a superb epic action thriller that is front-runner for Best Picture, Cinematography, and Sound Editing. It features a stellar cast, including Cillian Murphy, who plays the shivering soldier. The film opens with thousands of Allied and British troops stranded on a beach, their backs to the sea.
While many of the film’s characters are unknown to the audience, their main purpose is to escape Dunkirk and make it back to safety. The RAF Spitfires, meanwhile, engage the enemy from above, and the survivors are rescued by hundreds of small boats manned by both military and civilian volunteers, who risk their lives in a race against time. Despite the lack of dialogue in the movie, it ultimately works in its favor with a late-film twist that pulls it all together.
The film is one of the most emotional films of the year, and Murphy’s performance as the “Shivering Soldier” is a perfect fit for the role. Having spent time in the Great War as a private, Murphy plays a man who returned home from war to find his family. PTSD and alcoholism are his biggest problems, and he plays the role with sensitivity and nuance.
Dialogue
The dialogue in Dunkirk is surprisingly sparse, especially in the film’s first half. While there are many notable characters in the film, there are surprisingly few that the audience really gets to know. Most of the characters are simply concerned with getting away from Dunkirk as quickly as possible. When German planes start bombing the beach, Tommy and Gibson run for cover to try to get away. Gibson meanwhile, finds himself burying a body in the sand. Though Dunkirk has a relatively quiet tone, it is helped by a late twist that makes the movie a very absorbing and engaging experience.
The film’s premise is that it’s the story of a rescue operation that saves the lives of millions of British and French soldiers. The film is a fictional story that takes place in World War II. In a world that could easily become a nightmare, the characters are saved, but they must choose their path. This is why the film’s dialogue is so crucial.
There’s a lot of emotion in this film, which is not surprising. The climax of the film is a genuinely tear-jerking moment, and the film’s omissions work well to emphasize its emotional impact. The actors do an excellent job and the film’s cinematography is stunning.
RAF fighters
The RAF’s role in Dunkirk’s evacuation was largely down to the efforts of pilots. The RAF decided to make the evacuation a night-time operation, which eased the task of fighter command. The night-time evacuation allowed fighters to concentrate their patrols between dusk and dawn to ensure they could cover the ships entering and leaving the port. However, this move had its own problems. Due to the low cloud and thick smoke, squadrons could not keep in contact and fight effectively together. They therefore broke up into single squadrons or pairs.
The role of RAF fighters in Dunkirk is well documented. RAF pilots were tasked with defending and sheltering the stranded soldiers, and they were under intense fire from the Luftwaffe. The RAF’s air defenses prevented these attacks and the Allied troops and ships were free to flee the port.
RAF pilots fought a bitter air battle over Dunkirk, but the action was not visible to the troops. As the German Luftwaffe sought to dominate the skies over northern France, the RAF had to defend the beaches. Because of this, the RAF began operating on patrol lines between Gravelines and Furnes and between Dunkirk and St Omer.
Churchill’s dealings with the Germans
In late May 1940, Churchill was British prime minister and faced a dilemma. The Germans had encircled several hundred thousand British troops. They could have captured one-fourth of the British army and forced Churchill to resign. However, the Germans did not push into the French and British beaches and halted short of Dunkirk. This left the British generals puzzled.
Despite this, Churchill wanted to keep the euphoria from spreading across the nation. He appealed to the United States for help. But the American public did not seem to understand Churchill’s appeal. They had already voted for the invasion of France, and Churchill did not want to let this happen again.
Churchill then boarded a train, along with the leaders of all his major party organizations. Their aim was to make it to the coast, where they would meet with the French government and sign the Act of Union with them. This plan was a failure. The British Prime Minister left the train “with a heavy heart” and drove to Downing Street. Later, he was informed of the French decision. The French, however, decided to pursue an armistice with the Germans.
The British military and the Royal Air Force were a vital part of the battle. In response, the Luftwaffe was ruthless, but the RAF stood its ground and took on the Germans’ air force. As a result, Churchill’s leadership and the British government made the decision to expand the British Army and increase the number of planes in their arsenal. In the months that followed, the British Army was sent to battle the Axis in North Africa and the Middle East.
