Everybody's talking about Dunkirk. Christopher Nolan's latest epic is epic in a different sense. He's taken one of the biggest historical stories of the 20th century and given it the big screen treatment, but not the Hollywood treatment. It doesn't say a lot to speak volumes - a triumphant piece of cinema that's not about action heroes but the everyday heroes; not winning the day but merely surviving til the end of the day. 

When I was studying History at school, I remember writing an essay: "Dunkirk: Victory or Defeat?". Triumph or disaster? The Dunkirk miracle? I think I came to the conclusion that it was a victory in morale and the turning point of the Second World War. In Dunkirk, Director Christopher Nolan has come to a far more considered conclusion; his is far more detailed and nuanced and well-researched. At no point will the film have you fist-pumping the moral victory - instead, it's bleak and the feeling of fear will reach out from the screen to your seat. Remember those 4D films that you used to watch at the theme parks, complete with seat buzzing and water splashes from the ceiling? This encounter is like that, but far less annoying.

Several story arcs are gradually thread together to show a few perspectives and characters, jumping straight into tense action within seconds. From the Allied soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk, to the air, to the sea, we're shown a window overlooking just a tiny sliver of what happened in summer 1940. But the film's effort to be immersive is so great the audience are practically through the window. What actually happened was that more than 300,000 stranded soldiers were evacuated in a matter of days, a number far greater than any expectation, with the help of an unbelievable armada that even included fishing boats. In Dunkirk, we have Tom Hardy in the skies, Mark Rylance on a civilian's boat, Kenneth Branagh playing a naval officer on the pier and brilliant newcomer Fionn Whitehead as a soldier on the shores, like many, desperate to survive. I'd say Whitehead is a definite name to watch out for.

The characters each share a small piece of the story, and even though there are a lot of big names involved, their biggest achievement in Dunkirk is portraying characters so realistic we forget which Oscar-winning actor is which. The same can actually be said about singer turned actor Harry Styles who has been surrounded by media and fan and sceptic buzz - but you should believe me when I say he blends into the film and that's that. Maybe the first time he speaks, you'll be a little shocked. But get used to it because he has some of the heavier lines and plays his part rather well. Nolan wouldn't have cast him otherwise and it's clearly not a big deal to him so it shouldn't be for you. The fact that many characters are nameless also says a lot. This is a film not about egos and backstories and character development and attachment, but instead those brief moments of time in the lives they all lived.


Unlike many films concerning war, the opposition isn't antagonised. The heroes aren't glorified. There isn't even much in the way of combat. At last week's premiere screening, Nolan told us, "this isn't a battle film. It's a suspense film." And this absolutely sums it up. The promo posters echo this, shouting the message "survival is victory."

You can’t ignore the constant clock ticking throughout the film, and this is a deliberate motif showing the race against time. Cue more suspense! Apparently Nolan recorded a watch of his own and sent it to composer Hans Zimmer. Speaking of Zimmer, I'm a big fan of his previous scores and naturally we'd expect a Nolan+Zimmer collaboration. However, the music isn't something you'll later learn on the keyboard or stream on repeat (I did both). It's deliberately eerie, queasy, nerve-wracking, emotional...genius. One of the questions at the screening Q&A was about how Nolan directed him on the form of music to write, and the answer was simple: "You don't direct Hans Zimmer!" 


Dunkirk is quite straightforward. It's in the editing and the physical film mastery that Nolan has made his mark this time. It's a film on a very big scale that equally manages to hit home too. No twist, just a cinematic history lesson. No, not even a lesson because we don't exactly have a long list of things to learn; call it an experience. We feel these things instead.

Dunkirk is in cinemas on 21st July.

Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas at the BFI Premiere of Dunkirk