# Dunkirk - bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794 "2017-07-21T13:10:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/1 "2017-07-21T13:10:21Z")
Can we talk about Christopher Nolan’s use of [strikethrough]music[/strikethrough] noise? I think I’ve seen every Nolan movie, so I shouldn’t be surprised anymore. And Inception is legendary for it’s bwaaaaaaaws. But Dunkirk was ruined because of it’s sound, and I can’t figure out why nobody has slapped the sound mixer out of Nolan’s hands yet. (fair disclosure, I saw this in IMAX, which may have been a needlessly brutal experience) The bass in this movie is unrelenting. It feels like 80 or 90% of the movie is just seat rumbling bass, punctuated by Hans Zimmer’s “I start the tension at 9 and go up to 11” score. I don’t know if the bass is part of the Zimmer’s plan or if it’s added afterwards, but, in classic Nolan fashion, the intensity of the bass, and the crescendo of the score, have almost nothing to do with what’s happening on the screen. Rather than a build up of intensity to a key moment, Nolan builds up volume at random times, stretches it out for 20 minutes, ebbing and flowing, building to a moment of no great importance, only to quiet briefly before starting up again. In previous movies I found it a somewhat amusing annoyance, but in Dunkirk, at least in IMAX, it ruined everything. It was so loud, so distracting, at times so painful, that I considered getting up and walking out. Why? WHY?! The frustrating thing is that this movie is chock full of _brilliant_ sounds. The rumble of spitfires, the shriek of bombs, the sharp crack of bullets, all amazing, but mostly drowned out by an incomprehensible drone. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/2 "2017-07-21T14:11:23Z")
Coding hint: use [del], not [strikethrough]. Like [del]this[/del]. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/3 "2017-07-21T16:18:39Z")
The infamous "bwaaaaaah noise wasn’t actually in _Inception_, only the trailers. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/4 "2017-07-21T18:22:10Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > In previous movies I found it a somewhat amusing annoyance, but in Dunkirk, at least in IMAX, it ruined everything. It was so loud, so distracting, at times so painful, that I considered getting up and walking out. Why? WHY?! The frustrating thing is that this movie is chock full of _brilliant_ sounds. The rumble of spitfires, the shriek of bombs, the sharp crack of bullets, all amazing, but mostly drowned out by an incomprehensible drone. I wonder if that’s just you or the IMAX theater you went to. I went to a normal theater where the music wasn’t too loud and the sounds of war were a lot louder than the music growling in the background. Even so I’m not sure if I’d recommend the movie to people who hate Zimmer’s music. There’s not many quiet moments for sure. And yeah those sounds were awesome, I don’t think I’ve ever heard guns sound quite like that in any movie before. Those wailing Stukas sent shivers down my spine, too. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/5 "2017-07-21T18:29:24Z")
Churchill says in _Their Finest Hour_ that the RAF was taking on the Luftwaffe at 1:2 or 1:3. Two or three Germans were shot down for each RAF aircraft lost. That may have been Churchill sounding his own horn. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/6 "2017-07-21T18:30:02Z")
There were sheep at Dunkirk? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/7 "2017-07-21T18:36:13Z")
The book has sometimes been criticized for putting Churchill in the best light possible. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/8 "2017-07-21T18:39:42Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > I wonder if that’s just you or the IMAX theater you went to. My wife thought it might just be our theater, but I read [this review](http://observer.com/2017/07/dunkirk-review-christopher-nolan/) that seemed to agree it was a problem with the format, not the theater: > [@](#): > > The biggest problem with Dunkirk is that it is impossible to decipher almost everything anyone is saying. Special mention must be made of Hans Zimmer’s cacophonous music, which is so deafening it even drowns out the roar of bombs and artillery. I left in need of both ear plugs and a Dramamine. The movie is being shown in several unnecessary formats, including 70 mm, 35mm and IMAX. **My advice is avoid the ghastly IMAX version which obliterates the soundtrack, poses a dangerous threat to the eardrums, and renders the dialogue undecipherable.** Fortunately, this is not a movie about dialogue—but even though it is sparse, must it also be incognizant? Dunkirk is definitely a movie that could benefit from subtitles. So yeah, if you see this, don’t see it in IMAX without knowing what you’re getting into. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/9 "2017-07-21T19:33:02Z")
I heard that a reviewer at _USA Today_ complained that there were few women in it, and ‘no lead actors of color’. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/10 "2017-07-21T19:42:23Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Churchill says in _Their Finest Hour_ that the RAF was taking on the Luftwaffe at 1:2 or 1:3. Two or three Germans were shot down for each RAF aircraft lost. > That may have been Churchill sounding his own horn. > [@Gatopescado](#): > > There were sheep at Dunkirk? Nope, that’s why they needed to take them on at 1:3. Otherwise they could have at 1:4 traded wood for sheep. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/11 "2017-07-21T21:00:54Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Churchill says in _Their Finest Hour_ that the RAF was taking on the Luftwaffe at 1:2 or 1:3. Two or three Germans were shot down for each RAF aircraft lost. > That may have been Churchill sounding his own horn. FWIW, Stukas were notorious sitting ducks when faced with determined and well-trained fighter pilots. The Germans tried using them as strategic (rather than tactical) bombers in the Battle of Britain, and they were shot down like flies. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/12 "2017-07-21T21:09:34Z")
Nolan somehow manages to fuck up the audio mix on nearly everything he does. OP is not the first to notice or complain about it. And like a lot of incompetent artists, Nolan [defends it](http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30079406) as an artistic choice rather than simple aural malfeasance. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/13 "2017-07-21T21:27:55Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I heard that a reviewer at _USA Today_ complained that there were few women in it, and ‘no lead actors of color’. :rolleyes: _ **USA Idiots** _ is more like it. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/14 "2017-07-21T22:03:00Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I heard that a reviewer at _USA Today_ complained that there were few women in it, and ‘no lead actors of color’. :rolleyes: Yet that was not the stupidest part of his review. He loved the overly intrinsic soundtrack. > **[Review: Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' examines WWII heroism up close](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/07/17/review-christopher-nolan-excellent-dunkirk-explores-heroism-innovative-fashion/482574001/)** > > Christopher Nolan utilizes a nonlinear story structure and different points of view to tell the story of the legendary WWII evacuation 'Dunkirk.' ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/15 "2017-07-21T22:11:30Z")
Are we allowed to ask questions with open spoilers yet? There was one part of the plot I wasn’t 100% clear on, but I’ll wait until more people have seen it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/16 "2017-07-21T22:18:47Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Are we allowed to ask questions with open spoilers yet? There was one part of the plot I wasn’t 100% clear on, but I’ll wait until more people have seen it. Pose your question as a spoiler? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/17 "2017-07-21T22:19:33Z")
Just spoiler box it. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/18 "2017-07-21T22:25:55Z")
I would but I’m on an iPhone and not sure I could do it without screwing it up - I’d hate to spoil anything for anyone, especially by accident. I can wait. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/19 "2017-07-21T22:28:38Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I would but I’m on an iPhone and not sure I could do it without screwing it up - I’d hate to spoil anything for anyone, especially by accident. I can wait. The British get away. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/20 "2017-07-21T22:39:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The British get away. Do you ghost write for Christopher Nolan? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794.md?page=2)