Quentin Tarantino on What Makes ‘Dunkirk’ a Masterpiece | The Rewatchables | The Ringer 

Really nice to hear Tarantino admiring another director’s work. Especially one as recent as this. I want to hear more about what he thinks about Nolan and others.

Now I wanna hear Nolan pick a Tarantino film and nerd out over it

The part of the movie that stayed with me is how he showed how those people died on the ship slowly. It's haunting and sad, you can see the desperation on their eyes, and it's so horrific thinking how it feels to be there and Nolan made you felt that

Movies like Dunkirk are shot so well you can almost smell the air

Christopher Nolan doesn't have an apex mountain, he has a whole damn range.

*Everyone* : "This movie is not Nolan's best work." *Tarantino* : "It's his masterpiece."

I absolutely love this film. It's the utter lack of mawkish sentimentality, its restraint when it comes to anything remotely resembling patriotism and the way the heroes in this film don't get the usual Hollywood standing ovations every five minutes, that makes it *so incredibly* moving and impactful. The unsung hero is most often the one who punches the biggest hole in your chest and rips your heart out (in a beautiful way) - and Nolan does this again and again with his characters in Dunkirk.

Nolan is an amazing filmmaker, I respect Tarantino for giving respect and acknowledging Nolan's talent.

Christopher always does that long tense music and I love it

The best part of the film is that we never really see the enemy. Even when they are near by shooting. It adds a horror film element.

I love how Quentin is still a huge movie fan and watches new films

The villain isnt showed in the movie and yet it has a horror feeling

Personally other than The Dark Knight trilogy, I think The Prestige is his best film. Interstellar's ending has me in tears though.

To me The Prestige is Nolan`s greatest work. Underrated for sure.

Almost right- But the dude in the foreground of that one shot with the explosions was a real stuntman yanked up on wires.

I love that Quentin makes Top 10 lists just like every single one of us.

I can't comprehend the pressure involved in making a movie like Dunkirk. Directors of big-budget Hollywood movies must have project management skills of the very highest order.

This is THE best looking film in my 4k collection. The first scenes are visually AMAZING.

Was the lack of dialogue and shitting themselves and moments of eerie silence that made such a unique atmosphere for a war film.

I cannot wait for Tenet. Those trailers are so confusing which means its going to be Nolan at his best

I´m not a war movie buff by any means, however, I often find myself utterly in agreement w Nolan´s cinematic vision, so I knew to go see it. A stunning audiovisual masterpiece.

So fascinating hearing Tarantino comment on this film. He himself is a legend.

Watching Dunkirk in 70mm IMAX is still the best movie watching experience I've ever had.

Dunkirk is a film that I love sharing with people who haven't seen it. I agree that from an artistic perspective it is a perfect film that will hold up over time.

Putting aside as incredibly great a director he is, Quentin is the best film critique of his generation 🙌🏼

Dunkirk is not only an incredible film. It's a completely breath taking experience. The cinematography is so amazing it genuielly feels like you are in 1940 and feels like WWII which very few WWII films have captured. You are always constantly at the edge of your seat throughout the entire duration of this film. What makes it so thrilling and suspenseful is Hans Zimmer's masterpiece of a score. The constant ticking was genius and really shows just how terrifying the entire situation was.

I don't even remember there being dialogue in this movie.

I appreciate the Nolan appreciation. His most compelling movies for me personally are Sci-fi and Superhero based. Interstellar and the Dark knight trilogy are enough to solidify him as one of the greatest ever.

man, Dunkirk was my first IMAX experience, i had to go pee when they were showing the commercials at the start, but i was so excited for it that i couldn't get myself to go, because i didn't wanna miss one second of the movie, i ended up holding it in for the whole movie, through all the vibrations and sound effects of it.

It was my pleasure to work on this movie as Assistant Stunt Coordinator. I trained the cast and oversaw much of the shooting and safety. I have worked on 5 of Chris Nolan’s movies now and what I like is that he knows exactly what he wants and does actually do it practically instead of just using visual effects. The shot where the guy was blown up was also done practically without VFX they where only used to paint out a line.

I went and seen this movie with my dad before he passed

I'm surprised to see so many people disliked the movie, I remember being super impressed when I left the movie theater when I watched it, the sound was especially great.

Not a fan of Tarantino’s movies personally but I do love listening to him talk about film. He has such a personal passion for cinema that doesn’t come across in most other directors. Plus we both see Unbreakable as nothing short of a masterpiece 👍🏼

Thing I loved about Dunkirk was how nonchalant the British pilot is. My experience of old dudes from that era is that they were real man's men that just get on with the job and don't make a big deal about things or complain about a tough job. He seemed so real for that era and role.

I actually fell asleep watching Dunkirk, and I've never felt the need to go back to it since. Yet Saving Private Ryan is one of my favourite WW2 films that I have re-watched a number of times.

I saw this on proper IMAX, and it blew me away. I could have happily watched three hours of dogfighting aircraft.

I would say Christopher Nolan is my favorite director, producer and filmwriter, I just love these thrilling scenes in like Inception, Interstellar and Dunkirk, he creates such a big tension and keeps it over a pretty long period of time,

For anyone interested in how they did the "greatest shot in war movie history": The impacts on the sand were all real (compressed air tanks I guess). There is a smartphone clip that shows the different impacts as they happen. For the guy that gets blown up: It's 100% in camera! There also is a behind the scenes smartphone video on youtube where they rehearse the stunt (I can't find it that quick but just go through the "dunkirk behind the scenes" videos on youtube). The guy was in a harness and at the same time the compressed air tank "explodes" the guy gets lifted up into the air (there was some kind of reverse bungee system a few feet away from the cameras POV).

In defence of *Saving Private Ryan* after the Omaha beach landings, there are many memorable shots in the second and third acts, such as these: The telegram being delivered to the mother (which is incredibly affecting, framing the homestead door and the view beyond), the death of T/4 Medic Irwin Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), the shot of the men at night with the flashes of artillery (or could be lightning) illuminating the distant horizon, and the sniper Jackson (Barry Pepper) in the bell-tower. If you're invested enough after the gruelling opening, this is a movie that really rewards multiple viewings, too.

I'd love to hear Tarantino's top 10 of the 2010s, anyone know where I can find it?

Christopher Nolan has a stellar body of work. Unbelievably complex stories that challenge the viewers while still maintaining entertainment. He writes his own original stories. He stays true to the traditions of cinema while simultaneously exploring new frontiers. Sometimes it seems like he is deliberately overlooked. It's nice to hear a legend like Tarantino tip his hat.

Dude if Tarantino starts a podcast about films and filmmaking, I would lose my mind.

Loved the restraint in this movie. No unnecessary exposition, no over the top action. Just an amazing score with a haunting, suspenseful plot.

Too bad about the annoying music playing over their conversation . . .

I agree with everything Tarantino has said about this movie. It is brilliant. The three strands of narration work together like a symphony

I would’ve loved to hear their thoughts on finding out that very shot with the explosions was all done practically. Even the soldier who gets blown up. They had a guy on a wire get propelled up and man does it look incredibly real. Very few directors put that type of effort into doing one single shot.

The thing I adore about this movie as how it keeps tension from start to finish , as even In the most calm moments of the film I was still on the edge of my seat

Nolan is a master at the epic movie,the music,the climax,this is a masterpiece.....

Just rewatched Dunkirk for 2nd time, and I had the most emotional moment I ever had watching a movie, came to youtube, saw this.. 👍👍.. at first watch you dont get it. But at second watch you came to see that its a movie about a Nation at its worst and how it tries to mend its wound for the final battle. "Surviving is enough"

How could Sean leave Inception out of the run of original, big budget, highly-anticipated films from Nolan?

I grew up thinking Dunkirk was this massive evacuation of troops with 100’s of ships involved and air battles raging across the beaches. This movie makes it look like there’s one Spitfire in the sky and a dozen boats sailing from England. Really thought it was a bigger event.

He knows the Rewatchables lingo? Awesome.

I really enjoyed this movie in theatres, War movies are just so exciting and captivating. To see stories in movies based on actual events is truly admirable, to see the troops make dire decisions in crucial moments is remarkably interesting. This genre is my favorite, and to see Tarantino give it such high praise is fantastic; I enjoy his movies a lot too. I'd hope one day he'd direct one as amazing as this, maybe his type twist would be a spectacular thing.

One of the best scenes for me was inside the spitfire. The sound the rattles just seemed so realistic. You can tell so much effort went into each scene.

Dunkirk was great but there was one HUGE, immersion breaking problem with it. There weren't enough soldiers on the beach. It looked like just a few thousand instead of the nearly 400,000 that were evacuated.

I actually put Dunkirk first in my Top 10 Films of 2010s. I’m so glad to hear that an admirable director/writer loves this film as much as I do! It’s too underrated.

Hundreds of thousands of troops? Tens of thousands? I'm not sure. But seeing about 12 men on a beach absolutely destroyed the movie for me.

The scene with the “little Ships of Dunkirk” made me proud to be British 🇬🇧 Hard to get those feelings in today’s world unfortunately.

'Atonement' is rewatchable as well. In fact, there's enough in Atonement to warrant watching it over and over again.

Stellar cast with a stand out performance from Mark Rylance who continues to out shine headline stars in everything he does

I actually want his thoughts on 1917

so uh yeah where is the rest of tarantino's list?

I was on a date when I saw this movie. I barely remember the guy but this film was breathtaking. Can't think of anything I didn't like. I would say watching this in a theater hit me more than my living room.

I regret not seeing Dunkirk in the cinema when it first came out.

A legend respecting another legend

I remember watching Dunkirk 3 days before shipping out to basic. Put things into perspective.

Dunkirk is Nolan's best film in my opinion, it's absolutely haunting and stays with you

Interstellar has to be the film of the decade. That movie will age like nothing before it.

Agree 100%. It gets better each time you watch it.

"With Tenet, we'll see what we get." Oh yes, we surely did.

Having served in the Army I can say for sure Dunkirk is a masterpiece. It captures the emotions , situations like no other movie.... It is closest to the real thing

Nolan missed a golden opportunity to make a truly momentous film. This in an underwhelming take on an historically fascinating topic. There are dozens of facets of the Dunkirk story that are incredible in their own right. I almost walked out of the theater. It was like he was making a version for those who don't know anything about history.

Quentin, Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson have the same interest on filming film on film, expecially 70mm film and imax 70mm film. They are friends and they make studios to support Kodark's film production line. They admire each other and like their movies too.

All I want now is to know QT’s top 10 of 2010-2020 😭😭😭😭

If you only saw Dunkirk once and didnt understand the split timelines, it was a mess. If you understood those points and watched it again, wow, a masterpiece.

Saw Dunkirk in the theater, it was awesome.

I love the analysis, but the easy listening background music was distracting for a movie that is about fear.

Such a great movie. I could watch it over and over. A story told so so well.

One of my favorite directors talking about one of my favorite directors.

Chris Nolan is a living legend. This movie is a masterpiece. That opening sequence was gold.

My great uncle was one of the last off the beach. He turned up home with no sleeves or cloth below the knees on his uniform. From miles of crawling. The medals that man earned, my goodness. RIP Uncle Fred.

Listening to Quentin Tarantino dissect Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is like attending a masterclass in the intricate layers of storytelling and filmmaking. Both directors have their unique styles, and hearing Tarantino’s perspective on a Nolan film offers a rich, multi-faceted discussion that enhances the way we perceive this war epic. It’s a unique moment where two different worlds of cinema collide, providing a rare, enriched view of a film that many may have misjudged or misunderstood at first glance. What really stands out in this episode of The Rewatchables is how Tarantino delves into the subtleties that make 'Dunkirk' an underappreciated masterpiece. This is a film that eschews the traditional narrative structure and character development we're accustomed to in war films, opting instead for a visceral, almost experiential approach to storytelling. It's less about the characters and more about the collective experience of war, desperation, and survival. Tarantino’s commentary adds another layer to the film's complexity, touching on how Nolan manipulates time and tension to immerse the viewer fully in the experience. He also touches on the audacity of Nolan to tackle such a large scale project in a non-traditional manner, a kindred spirit of risk-taking that Tarantino himself is well-known for. Overall, this podcast episode serves as a compelling reassessment of Dunkirk. It encourages us to revisit the film with fresh eyes and perhaps a greater appreciation for its nuances and ambitions. Even if you’ve watched it before, the insights from such a seasoned filmmaker as Tarantino make it worthy of another viewing, and maybe even multiple rewatches. It's a testament to the power of cinema to evoke new emotions and thoughts upon each revisit, especially when guided by the insights of masters in the field.

Oh boy do I disagree with that assessment. I really would have appreciated Tarantino going a bit more into detail about what made the movie great but I have some gripes with it: - jumbled, non-linear storytelling that just seemed gratuitous (or what was the reasoning behind that?) - lack of graphic violence (I don't care for torture porn but war needs to feel dirty and real) - lack of clear protagonists or relatable characters - lack of CGI where it could have help to convey the scale of the rescue operation ( I do appreciate directors doing as much as possible practically but the number of soldiers and ships to be seen doesn't come close to the actual scale and you can clearly see some modern buildings at the beach front early on. Also the city of Dunkirk seems mostly intact)

For me, Memento still remains as his masterpiece, With all his other movies literally an inch lower. It's the same situation with Tarantino: Pulp Fiction on top and all his other movies (Except Deathproof) almost up there with it.

There should be a hall of fame of movie directors just like sports. Spielberg, Tarantino, Nolan, just a few. I love when great directors give props, admiration, and respect to those in their same profession.

Quentin "One of the best movies of all time" Tarantino

the scene with Hardy landing his spitffire on the sand was massive

It is the most boring, completely inaccurate, sometimes stupid masterpiece with a very controversial message.

honestly this movie was filmed great, the sound and picture was incredible, and the acting was top notch. but all together i still wasnt that big of a fan. the pacing felt so off for me. the feeling of suspense and time-crisis is stretched so long through the film it just makes it feel drawn out. i know, my hot take.

If Tarantino says someone's good, they're good, if he says someone is bad, he's bad. Tarantino is just honest and respects the good guys when credit is due. He's a true cinephile and his passion and enthusiasm for movies is amazing.

It actually made me cry. The first time ever a film did that.

A masterpiece possibly, but for some reason, Nolan overlooked rudimentary historical accuracy with something as simple as using correct aircraft i.e. Hispano Buchon's, masquerading as a Messerschmitt Me 109's. With CGI this could have been easily solved. Or better yet, use one of the known flying examples of an actual 109.

Saving Private Ryan has some great shots in the Church Tower with Barry Pepper’s character.

For me , after watching Dunkirk , I felt like I just watched a a really good horror movie .

Saw a 70mm showing of Dunkirk and couldn't hear about 50% of the dogfights with the audio mix. Wasn't big on it. Revisited at a few years later with subtitles and it's now one of my all time favorites. Def Nolans best.

Really is a great movie.

When I watched Dunkirk the first time, I dismissed it a bit in my head. It was the second watching(during a nolan binge) where I got it, I understood. It's what Nolan wanted to make, its a love letter to his fans, that we are only gonna appreciate years afterwards. I think Nolan is the best director in Hollywood rn, which is a tough competition to face, and I think in 10 years, you will still hear people bring up dunkirk to compare to him and other directors inspired by him.

“We’ll see what we get with Tenet.” Buddy, you have no idea.

To me, Chris Nolan’s apex is Interstellar. Hands down and to me I don’t even think it’s close. It’s my favorite film of all time.

I remember smoking a joint and watching this movie right before bed on a tablet, dunkirk was one of the most immersive films I've seen since Mel Gibson's Apocalypto...