Dunkirk - The Art Of Fear 

As a military man myself, I loved what Nolan did with this. Everyone thinks they’ll join in the military and turn into Rambo when the time comes where bullets fly around. But the reality is what Nolan showed, when that time comes, there is about a minute or so of craziness and mayhem where you try your best not to die, where every little movement can get you killed and then you’re left to deal with the consequences of that minute.

I think you misunderstand war. Nolan portrays this excellently, not many soldiers actually do get to see the enemy and I feel this was captured spectacularly in Dunkirk.

The lack of dialogue throughout this movie was amazing. Yes there was dialogue but very little.

I went into the theater expecting the typical war film, like Privat Ryan. Instead, I was indeed treated to a very alien experience, completely different from what I expected. It is a jewel of a film. _You can't hate it for not being what you want. You need to love it for what it is._ And it's gorgeously performed.

*Many people thought of this film as boring* because there were no guns blazing everywhere and bombs exploding on the screen. What a sad perspective.

I disagree with the reviewer when he says that this isn't a war film. It is a war film, and it is one of the best at depicting the reality of war. It isn't glamorous, and it isn't action packed. There is a lot of silence and waiting in horror.

**clock ticking intensifies**

Rewatching this five years later and hearing the line "if nolan were making a movie about the holocaust or the use of atomic weapons in Japan" feels oddly prophetic

My biggest regret is not watching this in imax

How can you say Dunkirk doesn't say anything about war and therefore doesn't qualify as a war film, and then instantly discuss that it's about fear of an unknown enemy and the desire to survive because that's how the men on that beach felt? That IS *what Dunkirk says about war* - something that's been missing from lots of war movies that focus on individuals, instead of acknowledging that most individuals do experience war as like, a force they're in the grips of just trying to stay alive, without any time or power to philosophise about morality or the enemy. It's exactly that survival angle of Dunkirk that makes it a great war film, imo!

its because the movie has so few action it teaches us about what war is, because most of the time war is not action, its just waiting in fear, fear of the unknown, and the only thing that matters is to survive, not to be a hero, and that is what the movie wants us to know

Dunkirk shows that war is chaos. Dunkirk shows that war is fighting an inanimate fear. Dunkirk shows that in war, morality doesnt matter, that it is fear that governs, the wish to survive.

Idk why people say that this movie didn't have any characterization, cause they were defined more by their actions rather than words imo. For example, Tom Hardy's character turning the plane around to take down the bomber despite the low fuel tells you all you need to know about him as a character.

This movie made me even more terrified of the ocean...

Dunkirk does actually talk about warfare through symbolism. It talks about the anonymity of war through its entire movie. We don't know anything about the characters more than the other characters in the movie know themselves. We look at statistics of WW2 and all we see are numbers of the masses, and nothing down to the individual level. Dunkirk captures the anonymous nature of war extremely well. While I really do agree with your stance, this part cannot be taken out of the brilliance of the movie.

Did no one else notice the building up tension soundtrack continueing on for the ENTIRE film

People didn't like Dunkirk because they came in with expectations for what a war movie is supposed to be like and what a Nolan movie is supposed to be like. No one went in expecting such a strange and innovative execution; no one expected it to fly in the face of traditional Hollywood story telling. And I totally get why people hated it. It's a very strange movie.

I saw this movie stoned as hell in the theater, and it was a more thrilling experience than staring death in the eyes

I've seen dozens of war movies but Dunkirk is undoubtely the most refreshing one

Dunkirk: Focuses on Dunkirk Pearl Harbor: Focuses on love?

Dunkirk is intense. It would be my best picture winner

Great video but I, personally, disagree with your assessment that Dunkirk is not a war movie because it doesn't focus on an aspect of war. Terror is a very real and sometimes overlooked aspect of every war. In fact the best description I have ever heard of war was: it is vast stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

It doesn't have any commentary on the nature of war. The visuals show the nature of war.

The general sound design in this movie was nothing short of incredible. I saw it in theater and it was an amazing experience

This movie comments on the sacrifice people are willing to make for their fellow man. Throughout the movie, Nolan follows a group of people trying to escape death. However it’s Tom Hardy, the pilot, that no one knows is there, who sacrifices everything he’s got an order to help as many people as possible, knowing very well that he would likely die doing so. It shows how war is unfair and how the people who deserve to live, Good people willing to sacrifice themselves, don’t always have a happy ending. And it also shows how cowards are sometimes spared in spite of everything. This movie shows how objective where is by not taking sides on who deserves to live or who deserves to be punished but rather shows people that war doesn’t take sides.

the opening scene was also scary.

3:51 One of the best scenes in the history of war films.

0:33 "So, wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes."

The sound of the Stuka diving is just incredible One of a few movies that make me shiver from fear. Sounds like banshees screaming

I’ve heard the argument that Dunkirk isn’t a war movie, mainly because Nolan himself said so, but by your definition I politely disagree. Dunkirk shows a commentary on the horrors of war, but does it in a very unique way. Instead of showing the horror through bloody, gruesome scenes like Hacksaw Ridge and/or acts of unsettling inhumanity like Apocalypse Now, Dunkirk capitalizes on the overt fear that war causes. Saving Private Ryan tries to do this by having a big long break between two of the best and most disturbing scenes in all of film, leaving the viewer tense throughout, but Dunkirk alleviates the pain with an action scene, only to rinse and repeat constantly. This keeps the viewer constantly on the edge, hoping for some kind of relief to an unrelenting force, and that plays a large part into not only why the film works, but also why it is so unique.

The nature of war....what about the aspect of not knowing when you're going to die? I thought this move portrayed that brilliantly.

RIP FRENCH GIBSON I WANTED HIM TO LIVE

I really liked this movie because I like stories that leave the interpretation up to the viewer or reader. And with the minimal dialogue and no real character building (backstory or personal info. Their actions tell us about their integrity and character but not who they are as a person), I really felt like it was real and happening right then, because that’s how life is. It’s not some grandiose thing; you meet people and crap happens and you don’t know why. And it made the dialogue that was there stand out a lot more. The one that comes to mind being the scene in the boat at the end. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of Mr. Styles’s acting. Very well done. Very stressful. All in all, fascinating storytelling, but not a movie I’d buy.

Expect my next essay on blade runner 2049 to come out in the next few days :)

I literally felt fear watching the soundless clips lmao.

I love your take on the enemy! It's mind-boggling how enemy has no face, defined characteristics and is blurred therefore creating and unseen ominous presence. LOVE IT.

I personally really loved this film! (Also, great video! I really love all the points you made!)

I think the best thing anyone said to prepare me for this film was to say that it's basically survival horror wearing the skin of a war movie. It nearly brought me to tears with the sheer level of tension. In addition, I never had an issue with the characters. They're right for the way the story works.

This is an absolutely spectacular movie. I dont think there was a single moment in this movie that I didn't feel tense until the end. It felt very satisfying after it ended as well.

This movie was amazing, every time Nolan announces a new movie I am excited and ready to watch

This is why Nolan is my favourite director. He’s amazing!

"He's coming back 'round!"

Watching this in the cinema was superb. In that first scene of the soldiers walking down the street the sound was so loud and true to life I thought someone had actually fired a gun in the back of the auditorium

You're right about the fear in this film I can name 4 movies that made me cry. This was one of them. When the plane goes down but doesn't release its chute, the son wants to move on. The dad refuses, and when he snaps at the son you can hear the fear in his voice. Later on we learn that he lost his eldest son in the war, and you realize he couldn't bear the idea of losing another boy, even if it's one he doesn't know. In the end, the soldiers are afraid the public is going to be mad at them. They're afraid of the publics reaction. When the crowd instead applauds and celebrates them, I couldn't hold it in. Criminally underrated film.

I 100% agree with you when you said that fear depends on the unknown. My 2 biggest fears are the open ocean and being murdered for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The ocean because if I’m out there, 1001 things could go wrong and leave me stranded in open water with no way to get to land, no way to call for help, and no way of knowing what’s lurking just beneath the surface. The being murdered thing is because I’ve seen plenty of episodes of Law and Order where a gunman goes to an office or school or wherever to kill a particular person and kills everyone else there just so there are no witnesses. Both of those situations terrify me, and both are because there’s no way to prepare for them because there’s no way of knowing when or even if they’ll happen

The Closer Look liked a Nolan movie? What a shock!

I went to see this film with my grandad who lived through ww2 and both of us thought it was a masterpiece and it’s the only time I’ve seen him cry

My sister only watched this film because Harry Styles was in it😂 in the end she really liked the movie and we watched it three more times❤️

I beg to differ! I think it is a war movie because it shows a big part of war that is true for many soldiers and civilians. Often all people wish for is just survival. I think seeing war that way is a quite honest portrayal. Often people don't quite buy into them being on higher moral ground and many soldiers lose that belief in battle. And then all that matters is survival.

You make a good point on Dunkirk being a survival. I can see why you would call it that.

You have amazingly captured the main essence of this movie and reminded me of so many things that I had missed to articulate after having watched this movie. For example, the fact that the enemy is always labeled so and the cinematic effects it produces. Thank you so much...Much love.

We need a movie like this but for Stalin grad. Told from both angles though

Great commentary! 12:04 Also, it's "Killian" Murphy

Dunkirk wouldn't fail as a book, youd have chapters for each characters just like Game of Thrones does

"The right man in the wrong place can make all the diffrence" 0:43

I watched Dunkirk last night I don’t know why I felt so anxious this video helped me find out why thanks keep up the great work

This film wasn't on my radar at all. I saw the trailer and thought it looked good but I didn't see it until a couple weeks after its release after not seeing or reading any reviews. It ended up becoming one of my top 3 films of last year with Split and Logan

I really liked this movie when it came out because of the way it told the story it helped me understand the event and the tension involved in the evacuation, the knowledge of the german forces slowly approaching but never knowing when they will be there is amazing.

I absolutely believe that this essay is the most meaningful and useful video I have ever seen on this website. Thank you for the help, and the wonderful work.

Ahhhhh the shot of the bombs hitting in a line getting closer and closer to him is one of my faves ever.

The 19 people who disliked are "the enemy"

Great video. It does make a commentary on war though. Its fear. The terror of war. Its not a higher philosophy but rather a deep primal message

Dunkirk was phenomenal. In-depth characterisation would have only slowed this movie down. The most harrowing parts for me were when the enemy aircraft and U-boats were coming after the allied ships. I don't think any other movie I've seen has done a better job of capturing the harrowing sense of being a prey animal being hunted by an apex predator. As it circles around you forget that it is a machine being piloted by a human and perceive it simply as an unknowable horror preparing to strike. Before Dunkirk I had never seen a war movie that felt like a horror movie.

The pause you took while explaining tension did not go unnoticed. Very clever!

I really really loved this movie. I liked how all the events started at different times and all caught up to every character.

"all the diffrences on the world" and i hear G man in backof my head . _ .

This is one of my favorite movies of all time! The directing, editing, score, and lack of dialogue was superb.

Thank you Nolan for making this film. I haven't watched any of your other films. But I watched this one. Massive respect for your work of love. Honouring those men through film.

Anyone else notice that Tom Hardy's face was only shown twice in the whole movie? Thats good filmography right there

I get so excited for every episode from this channel, and it never disappoints. Thank you.

Dunkirk is a visual feast, its an experience. Its moving and most importantly portrays the totality of fear. And in its lowest moments it provides a redemptive quality that I must confess I found deeply moving. Great review!

I have fallen down the rabbit hole of The Closer Look videos. These are so well written and enjoyable to watch. Well done.

I don't care what anyone says Dunkirk was an amazing movie, probably the best of 2017 and Nolan is one of the best directors ever...

I liked this movie but I didn't love it. Mostly because I couldn't understand it, and I didn't necessarily know why. Not the events, not what's happening cause I'm pretty familiar with Dunkirk and WW2 in general, but what the movie is really about. It felt disjointed and something was missing. I was expecting a War movie but that wasn't really what I got. The focus on the event as a whole instead of characters also didn't help. But by watching this video, I now understand why I didn't really understand it before. You put very well what I couldn't really say myself, and I appreciate this movie now much more because of that. Thank you for making a good movie great for me, and also thank you in overall for making YT videos in general, cause I'm really glad I stumbled upon your channel. You have a great thing going over here, and hopefully It'll become even better.

You know, I'm all about content. But I just want to take a second and admire the narration and the script behind this entire thing. The video was very well coordinated and very well written, and if it had been any other video I probably would have stopped watching halfway through, but the timing, narration, coordination, and overall structure was phenomenal. That is all.

TBH i think your videos are legit phenomenal. i've watched only a couple of them. And in this particular video the things you have analysed and the detail you take them to is amazing. It shows how hard you work. Your channel should recieve more attention! Subbed!! :)

This is my new favourite channel. God's work Sir, good work.

Did you just quote Gman in the opening lol. 0:33 "It makes...all the difference...in the world."

An aspiring writer? bro the last few minutes of this video gave me goosebumps from not only your writing but your DELIVERY. you could honestly be a good voice actor too, if the opportunity arises.

This was a beautiful retrospective on a wonderfully crafted piece of cinematography

12:47 dude he just predicted the future

"If Nolan made a movie about atomic bombs." Queue the Oppenheimer trailer!

I loved your closing triplet of the characters' motivations. nicely done

The build up and tension throughout the whole of ‘Dunkirk’ is relentless, it keeps you gripped, the soundtrack to the film created by Hanz Zimmer is incredible also

I'm going to show this movie to every girl I bring home... If she says this movie is boring, she's walking back home.

I love the bombing run shot - it's amazing, and it's terrifying.

This is a such a great essay about Dunkirk.and I'm agree with you,this masterpiece is about survival.

That song from the OST always moves me to tears. Phenomenal film with an equally well-made video to match it.

*Make an essay on exposition and world building* Example: Blade Runner 2049 & Logan did an amazing job with atmospheric storytelling. Where Wonder Woman's lazy delivery on the whys and hows felt rushed, overlooked or forgotten about.

You should do something about Inception.

I feel like the "all the difference in the world" is a reference to the first Gman speech in hl2. The way you said it and the subtle tone of voice just made me think of it.

That torpedo scene was the best part of the whole movie for me 👏🏾

If you read through the swarm of negative reviews about DUNKIRK, you might notice a common theme: boring, dull, lack of characters. It's incredibly disappointing that they seemed the miss the entire point of the film.This is not a film about heroic soldiers triumphing against all odds while blowing up Nazis with transformer-esque explosions. This is a movie about scenes, not characters. -and every scene is memorable, from the bombings to the torpedoes to the aerial dogfights. My co-worker, who is obsessed with WW2 planes, noted how incredibly perfect they got the British Supermarine Spitfire from the roar of the Rolls-Royce engine to the rattle of the components in the cabin. The accuracy and intensity of the dogfight was captured perfectly as well, mimicking the aerial maneuvers, firepower and damage in a realistic and dramatic fashion. The torpedoes noticed only moments before impact with it's slow monotonous movement sent chills of realization down my spine. Even in the beginning of the film, the way in which the Nazi leaflets were presented gave you some glimpse into the panic and anxiety felt by those soldiers.

Really late here. But I'd disagree with your comments on Dunkirk not having a message. It's message *is* that war is chaotic. That the men are left without communication, without supplies, without hope by those making decisions. That all of this drives men to act and survive in ways they would not have considered. So in this way, the enemy is not the Germans but death and that is why you do not see the Germans in clear view. That is why Nolan only refers to "the enemy" in my opinion (the implication at the end is that the RAF pilot is facing death not simply Germans). This is the reality of Dunkirk in history and in the film; it is the reality of war. In this way, I think Dunkirk is one of the better war films. Not the roaring action-packed war films you listed. Its commentary might be more subtle as it is overarching throughout the film but it is there and it is cleverly shown. The silence, the lack of dialogue, the exhaustion, the lucky and the unlucky, the fear - it is all reinforcing the message that war is chaotic and this short episode (9 days) in our history, which has been glorified over time and in our history lessons, can still be boiled down the hopeless fear of death among frightened men let down by the decision-makers. That's a pretty strong and bold message in my opinion.

Prior to seeing the film I read a book about 3 soldiers stories that survived Dunkirk. What came across was The sheer level of FEAR they felt 24/7. Consequently they fell asleep almost immediately they boarded a ship or boat( due to exhaustion) You may see shellshock in films, but to fear death or injury or capture for weeks on end is very hard to convey in a film. The fact is that This was a major VICTORY in that they pulled an army off the beaches in the face of defeat.The scene of all the little ships crossing the channel to rescue the troops has to be one of the most moving war scenes of all time. I still thought this was a GREAT film, and look forward to seeing it again. Hopefully at the cinema!

You're point about keeping camera at eye level really made me think of Son of Saul (amazing film, I recommend watching and promoting), which is constantly not just focused on the main character but almost always in an up close proximity to him giving almost a claustrophobic feel, while the atrocities he lives through and sees are in the background, rarely in focus but still clear enough the audience is witness to them.

i see it as a survival horror because almost every second it felt like there was some sort of torture from the notes falling from the plane saying your surrounded trying to get in there heads or the siren from the dive bombers a very different kind of horror or is this just me

Ayy he's back

This movie, may not make a direct commentary, or statement about war, but it truly does, capture the fear in it that most War Movies are lacking, or shorter, or live a few moments. This movie does a great job at extending the fear to the point of where it becomes exhaustive and we're just watching, forget about the people who actually lived it for days, weeks, or months at a time. And possibly a contributing factor in P.T.S.D. which all soldiers will carry with them in one way or another. This is why I think it is a War movie.

Man i loved this movie so much, and your video really just make me love it so much more. I appreciate these video essays so much!!! THANK YOU!