Dunkirk re-edited as a Silent Film - The Power of Visual Storytelling 

This is a special project of mine unlike anything I’ve ever done before. What started off as a regular essay on Dunkirk’s visual storytelling and its influences from silent films, slowly turned into what is by far my most experimental video to date. It began when I re-edited a few clips from Dunkirk into a silent film style to compare it to existing silent films that Nolan mentioned as his inspirations (and also; because it was just really fun to do). I was amazed at how well it translated and how well it highlighted Nolan’s use of camera angles, body language, facial expressions and staging in Dunkirk’s storytelling; a great use of visuals both in portraying minor conflicts as well as in telling the story as a whole. This last point presented an interesting challenge for my video essay, because translating individual scenes into silent ones is relatively easy; I think there are many recent films that have scenes with strong visual storytelling, but I can’t think of many films that can be turned into a silent film in their entirety and still work. Dunkirk however, I believe, is one of those films. For a second I considered re-editing the entire film, but because that would obviously lead to copyright issues I decided to transform it into a short that showcases Dunkirk’s strength in visual storytelling in both the small details as well as the story as a whole. I tried as much as possible to maintain the essence of Dunkirk, but I also wanted it to stand on its own which meant I had to pay a lot of attention to its internal logic and do some creative editing. Anyways, I figured this would be a great and fitting way to end the first year of Like Stories of Old. I started this channel a couple of months ago, mostly worrying about whether or not anyone is going to respond to my voice, my ideas and my desire to approach topics with sincerity. Now, over 35.000 subscribers, more than a 100 Patrons and almost a million total views later, I feel only gratitude, and confidence that 2018 will be even greater! My deepest thanks to everyone who has followed and supported this channel, I wish you all the best and a happy new year! - Tom

If you showed me this a year ago, I would have thought this was an actual classic film.

Here from your Reddit post. This turned out incredible. If editing films into silent films isn't a film school assignment, it should be. I hope Nolan is told about this edit!

Dude... Fucking A man, holy hell this is what Film criticism needs, not rants on 'pointless' characters, not hot takes on plot holes and fan speculation, but an honest understanding and communication of the language of filmmaking. You've done something incredible. You've written a masters thesis on Dunkirk without saying a word. You've broken down its elements into a digestible format that anyone can understand. Most importantly you've taken a piece of artwork and transformed it into your own piece of art, which is what I strive for whenever I start a new project (though sometimes unsuccessfully). To be completely honest, as a fellow essayist (is that what we call ourselves?), the medium isn't as exciting as it once was. What was fresh and new has become the mundane and expected, and I'm getting pretty tired of so many people making the same arguments in the same format. It often feels like a race, who can get the best video up the fastest on whatever hot new movie hit blu ray. There's a very cyclical nature to this job and for 2018 I'm hoping to break free of this and create something new and better. The end of the year is always great for reflection and it's what I'm focused on at the moment. I'm reflecting on my past videos, figuring out what worked and what didn't. I'm reflecting on the way I make my content, experimenting with new ways to communicate ideas. And I'm reflecting on my next video which is far bigger than any film project I've ever worked on. I'm reflecting because I want this genre to be better, I don't want it to be the echo chamber of styles and ideas that plague the rest of the internet. We're better than that. We're not fanboys bickering on irrelevant details, we're not consumers leaching off a giant industry, we're filmmakers, or at least we're trying to be. And this is what's inspired me about your video, you've created a complimentary experience that should 100% be on the Dunkirk bonus features disc. You've used your skills in editing and motion graphics to create a story, one that comments on and analyzes the material you used. You've made a film, one that could only exist through RU-vid. To any other people making video essays in 2018 please take note cause LSOO just raised the fucking bar. cheers.

A lot people criticize Dunkirk for its lack of dialogue but this movie was about it's visual storytelling and you rightly capture it in your 8min movie also. 👌

In before this goes viral. Terrific job.

If this isn't included in a blue-ray version of the film as an extra feature or something, I am going to be so mad. Seriously, this was the best idea ever!

Having seen this movie only two days ago, this edit encapsulated all the great moments so succinctly! Very nice work!

Makes me glad modern day film editing is better. This video does the silent film treatment very well, complete with all of the weird sudden cuts silent films had so often. If you showed this to someone who had only seen silent films and never watched a movie made after the 20s-30s, I bet they wouldn't know notice.

This. Is. Phenomenal. I simply can't express how amazing this is. Bravo to you! I love silent cinema, and I loved "Dunkirk" immensely. When you bring those two together...Man, it just doesn't get much better than this. Also, nice use of Gustav Holst's "Mars, Bringer of War"!

This video sums up why Dunkirk must win Best 'Picture'.

Thank for using my music!

These eight minutes are as good as the actual movie. Really captures what Nolan wanted this film to be. Great job!

Still bawled my eyes out when the British boats came for the soldiers... Brilliant use of "Mars" and "Nimrod", silence and the perfect use of music is seriously underappreciated. Thank you!

This was absolutely fantastic. This was so beautiful. The movie alone was, of course, a cinematic masterpiece, but what you did here was just beyond amazing. I enjoyed every second of it. Excellent job!

It's astonishing to see how perfectly Dunkirk fits the silent film format. Amazing job dude, looks just like as if it was filmed back then!

NOW I HAVE TO WATCH 1927 WINGS!!!! watching this video reminded me of why i love cinema in the first place , it is't just a escapist tool of entertainment or a second opinion on life, it is a integral facet of showcasing real-life ideas and concepts into a story of characters or at least a theme, the first time i was ever completely baffled by a film which i didn't expect to be surprised by was Buster Keaton's The General, iv'e never in my entire life unexpected so much emotion, "riveting", innovation and overwhelming enjoyment out of something that was created almost a hundred years ago!! almost twenty years of animated dinosaur cartoons and LOTR trilogy alikes and a Silent Film from a Chaplin competitor got me at the edge of my seat like it was a final episode of a fav show. your video was masterfully done in intention , film is film , and even if you strip it of it's color, ratio, and music, as long as you keep it's perceived chronology with it's presented motifs , it's bound to survive in transition, being subscribed to you feels like joining a club of monks that mastered the art of appreciation. i can't wait for more , but i shall , and patiently , Merry Christmas , and a Happy New Year Like Stories of Old give yourself a shoulder tap

outstanding! this silent film perfectly captured the spirit of dunkirk nolan was aiming to convey. i felt like i was genuinely watching a classic. subscribed :)

The eloquence of silence is often unappreciated amidst the ‘bells and whistles’ of contemporary media.

Brought a tear to my eye. Very well done job indeed! The music was synced perfectly, and you showed a complete story. Bravo!

someone get this guy a beer, and a studio

Wow. Silent movies have never appealed to me as I'm more a fan of the "whole package". But this was really something else! You really managed to maintain the suspense the movie has as well and properly tell its tale even in just 8 minutes. I know editing isn't easy, so my utmost respect for that! Plus the choice of music fits really, really well. Terrific job, I hope this gets you many, many views!

Better and better every week! You are the Nolan of RU-vid

This is superb- thanks again for continuing to make such thoughtful videos. I particularly smiled at your use of the original Elgar here; fitting for this "silent era" adaptation as a contrast to how it was used in the film itself.

Many have liked the transition from Hans Zimmer to Elgar's Nimrod, so pleased you have done the same from Gustav Holst - Mars to Nimrod. You have managed to fit picture to music well done

This is magnificent. And thanks for preserving the Nimrod music for the appearance of "the little ships."

Well done, man! Superb effort.. keep up the awesome work!

Absolutely amazing work. Showcases how great "Dunkirk" is - but also how expressive silent films were at their best. Congratulations!

Nice job! Great choice using Holst's Mars for the music. (Love that track)

Amazing job!! You really did a good job of imitating those little nuances of silent films. Picked the right angles, sped up some scenes properly, and nice musical choice. Seriously, hats off.

You have outdone yourself this time. This is absolutely wonderful. The editing with Holst's Mars and Elgar's enigma variation is simply wonderful, and so appropriate for an English war tale. Bravo sir.

Incredible job man! You made me feel all the emotions,the terror, the hope, the thrill I felt while watching the original film in just 8 minutes. Cannot praise this enough!

I loved how the editor kept the Nimrod theme in the scene where "home" arrives. I absolutely loved the Variation 15 piece in the actual movie (featuring Edward Elgar's classic: Nimrod from Enigma Variations) so I loved the touch of keeping it in this marvelous piece. Great job on every second!

wow, what a great way to celebrate first anniversary, wishing wonderful 2018...

This was excellent. Captures the feelings evoked by the film exactly. Thanks for your work

Wow. As a film reviewer and a Christopher Nolan fan, this "silent" edit is just the best.

Bravo! This is one of the finest fan work ever! Brilliant job :)

Breathtaking and utterly rivetting!! I kinda wish Nolan had made the whole movie like this! This edit deserves an Emmy or an Oscar nod and a nod from Nolan himself! Superb job!!

i thoroughly enjoyed this, Tom. well done! 👏👏👏👏👏

Works just fine as an old movie, gorgeus !

It's video essays like this that always remind me to keep a creative and open mind when directing or writing one of my films. Great job.

still get goosebumps to see the boats coming from England !

This is why Christopher Nolan is my favorite Director great job bro

This was absolutely beautiful. Great recut, great use of classical music. Hats off!

Christopher Nolan needs to see this!!! Why doesn't he has an official twitter :(

Woah! Somebody did a great job at editing here. Very nice, deserves more views :)

The Power of visual storytelling and the Power of Music......! Congratulations on an excellent piece of work!!!

Tom, this is an astonishing piece of art from you. Even Dunkirk the original film itself is one of the best films of the last year. To make it a silent movie it is a big step ahead and it reveals more of its beauty. Dunkirk is stunningly audio - visual, it is a proper artform of audio and visual impression at its most of the influence & intensity. The film does not tell any bombastic story, but it is visually and audio - stunning, as only a film can be, a great piece of filmic art, even without complicated narrative.

Fantastic edit, mate. Dunkirk is the best picture of the year. Nolan’s best film so far.

looks like a real classic 40s WW2 film in ultra-high resolution. Excellent classic remake!! Great Job!!

Absolutely amazing work -- that includes the optimal selection and synchronization of the musical score. I encourage you to repeat the same experiment with other movies.

I saw the silent era influences in Dunkirk while watching it for the first time. This video just reassured my thought. Wonderful job editing this one. It's beautiful. Hope this one goes viral and more people see it. Rock on..

When you used the actual music that had inspired Variation 15, as 'home' came for them, I liked this video. It was the biggest suspense for me. Thank you. Thank you for making my day happier, LSOO.

Impressive feat! Your editing skills brillantly prove Nolan's point but also the simple, raw power of silent movies. I'm glad to have seen this great demonstration.

Well done. Very moving story about the awesome power of human spirit in the face of desperate odds. Excellent choice of Gustav Holst's Mars as the background music.

your video on Interstellar is regularly showing in my recommendation feed for last 6 months or so, up till now I was postponing it without any special reason. But now after watching this incredible piece, I think that deserves a watch too

Nicely done. True to the source material and story, and an honest integration with the language of early cinema. If you can find it - something I saw circa mid to late seventies - is a recutting of Battleship Potemkin, portraying the mutineers as bad guys who fire the ship's cannons on the peaceful peasants assembled on the famous steps, with the Tsar's troops armed only with rifles bravely defending them from the Battleship. Hilarious, and specifically a response to Eisenstein's remarks about editing being the simple act of following the truth of the material. Had his comments been a tweet, yeah, would not have aged well as they say. Silent cinema remains potent one hundred years later with enduring evocations, plus Buster Keaton.

great work, i would like the see all this amazing movie in this format. greatings from Argentina

"What do you see?" "Home!" Even just reading that line still brings a tear to my eyes. Good job!!!

Dunkirk is my favorite movie of 2017. Hearing Nolan say he was influenced by silent films made me more intrigued by the film, & then when I saw the film, I was in awe. I was in awe seeing this video, too. This needs to go viral.

This was awesome!!! I had been watching some of the silent Kammerspiel films of Carl Th. Dreyer recently because of his passing 50 years ago, and without planning I got to see this great experiment today (I was kind of tired of the same piano music). Truly a wonderful essay that... may I say it: needs no words or explanation!!! Thanx a bunch!

This is one of the greatest RU-vid videos I've ever seen. Thank you.

Unlike anything I've ever seen on RU-vid :) Wonderfully done!

Quality work m'lad!😎👌 I'll be surprised if this seriously doesn't blow up.

Great job! The background music also goes with the action. And the black and white makes it look like it really was filmed back then

I hope Nolan himself will see this video one day and acknowledge your work

Just awesome!! Almost like real footage. :-)

That ending with the soldiers being rescued and Elgar's Nimrod playing in the background really made me tear up. Brilliant visual storytelling indeed! I congratulate you, sir. This version of Dunkirk actually looks like a very well made World War II documentary. A true masterpiece and a great interpretation of the film. Well done, Like Stories of Old!

Amazing work man. This is really inspiring because I’m currently studying film. I never knew visual storytelling can be so powerful. Good job!

.. but how did they shoot that dogfight back in 1920? that poor cameraman sitting on the wing of that spitfire :p

I grew up thinking silent movies were old and silly. Then I watched one on youtube earlier this year, and after 10 or so minutes I was completely absorbed.

I’ve always wanted to re-edit entire movies in my own vision but never really put the effort in. Your channel is so inspiring and I love the content so far. I’ll definitely be binging more and hopefully gain enough insight to craft my own video :D

Funny how the Dunkirk incident happened after sound movie became a sort of standard for movies. But if you showed this to someone in 1920s, they would be blown away.

This is brilliant man. I actually thought Nolan himself did this since I wasn't aware of your channel. Great job man. You just earned a subscriber. Keep doing this.

Amazing video, man. Absolutely fantastic stuff! Hope Nolan see's this!

Marvelous tribute to visual storytelling. I enjoyed the original film and your abridged cut is on the nose. I think there is something to be said for efficient storytelling, and you can't go wrong with Gustav Holst driving the action. Good show!

Why I haven't discovered​ this channel before....😮 Loved it

Wow. This is perfect. An idiot like me would have made it too long. You honored Nolan's choices while making some creative ones of your own. This might be the best thing I've seen RU-vid used for in a year.

You've done an excellent editing job. Hands up who think this should be played at all Ferry Crossing Terminals. It does no harm to remind everyone living in these Islands just how precious home really is & that our home is Europe's only Lifeboat!

Damn. Always get shivers of relief when I see the lifeboats... Great job man.

I can't believe how authentic this looks. Great job.

What a wonderful idea! You are truly an amazing artist. I hope Nolan have seen it :)

GREAT JOB - ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH, SERVES ALMOST LIKE AN ALTERNATIVE TRAILER FOR DUNKIRK - CHEERS

This is pure art, I loved the original and this is well put together.

How outstanding. Well done, goodness!

Though not a fan of silent film, I respect the quality of this work. Great job!

Wow. Just wow. This is much better than the Dunkirk I watched in the theatre. It tells the same story in a lot less time and creates way more emotion. Brilliant choice and timing of "Nimrod" -- I had a lump in my throat before Ken Branagh had tears in his eyes.

this is one of the greatest things I've seen, awesome job

the white cliffs at the end ...man that brought a tear or two

This is so beautifully made. Amazing job!

I am glad you came up with this man. Makes me appreciate the film even more and now I wish I can just watch this film entirely in a silent film style. Congrats on the success of the channel. And I wish you bigger success with the channel in the future.

very very nice work! It really looks like an old movie and catches perfectly the essence of the original movie. Congratulations!!

Just as good as the original! The best video about the movie Dunkirk I've seen to date!

This is seriously awesome work dude. Very unique.

Brilliant, and moving. The music is perfect (and, of course, so very English). Thank you!

Thankyou so much for your hard work on all of your well crafted video's, and for your sincere, intelligent and insightful voice. I eagerly await each new video since I stumbled on this channel a month ago.

I think Nolan did such a good job with the visual storytelling with you could’ve gotten away with trimming away even more dialogue-although they were definitely a nice touch for selling the realism of the classic film look. Great Job on the edit!

This is brilliant beyond words. I'm speechless.

Amazing! Great job. If only these were played in the old Nickelodeon arcades.. I would be putting in tons of nickels just to watch it over and over again!

Holy shit that was really good. Dunkirk is one of my favorite movies of the year and this edit was spectacular. Powerful film, nice