# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/41 "2017-07-23T20:49:01Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Best movie of the year…so far. Yeah, but just wait until “Weekend At Bernie’s IV: The Dessication” comes out! ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/42 "2017-07-23T21:01:20Z")
Just back from Dunkirk. I loved it. The only think I kind of on the fence about was the non-linear story telling. I kind of liked because there was this beautiful convergence of events, but on the other I’m not sure it really added that much. Well worth seeing in my view. The movie is very well done and has a great tone. The soundtrack in my mind is great. I really liked the constant ticking of the clock. The movie feels very intense and does justice to history in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/43 "2017-07-23T21:23:46Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I don’t remember having issues with sound in other Nolan films, but I haven’t seen any since I saw Interstellar in the theater. I just want to emphasize this part in case _Interstellar_ comes around to IMAX again in some sort of repeat performance. I haven’t seen _Dunkirk_ so I’ll take the criticism at face value, but _Interstellar_ (which also had the score by Hans Zimmer) was fantastic in IMAX. Nolan insisted that was the only proper way to see it, and my son and his buddies drove a fair extra distance to go to one of the original authentic IMAX film theaters. Then he dragged me out to see it, and since I wasn’t willing to drive that far, we saw it in a digital IMAX theater which – despite using two synchronized digital projectors in tandem – is the poor cousin of IMAX film. Just don’t generalize whatever the _Dunkirk_ issues may be to a general condemnation of Nolan and Zimmer. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/44 "2017-07-23T21:52:59Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > We saw it in a 2D movie that had a Dolby Atmos sound system and extra large screen (Alamo Drafthouse) and really enjoyed the movie. I had pretty much the same experience last night except at Flix Brewhouse. I have to say that the sound track didn’t really consciously register with me, which I think is a good thing in a movie like this. I think that subconsciously it added a level of tension which was appropriate for the events. I agree that the sounds of the planes screaming, the bombs dropping, the bullets pinging, etc. were the sounds that I thought were the most dramatic. I also agree that the multiple story lines could be a bit confusing… it sometimes took me a moment to realize they had moved from one to the other. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/45 "2017-07-24T01:28:13Z")
A second viewing (in IMAX!) cleared up the little plot point I was confused about. Just in case you were worried . ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/46 "2017-07-24T04:57:24Z")
Here’s a weird, random thought: after seeing reports that many teen girls are going to this movie solely because Harry Styles is in it, I got to wondering what his pop star equivalent would be for past generations; then it struck me - John Lennon was cast by Richard Lester in 1966’s ‘How I Won the War.’ Is it possible Nolan cast Styles in this movie as a (very) subtle homage? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/47 "2017-07-24T15:39:12Z")
This thread may also be of interest: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=831825](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=831825) I saw _Dunkirk_ with a friend on Saturday night and we both liked it, but agreed it wasn’t as absolutely amazing as so many of the reviews have made it out to be. Not sure I would even put it on my personal Top Ten War Movies Evah list. And yes, the film score was _much_ too loud and oppressive. ---
**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 24, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/48 "2017-07-24T15:49:40Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > A second viewing (in IMAX!) cleared up the little plot point I was confused about. Just in case you were worried . Which was…? 😕 Not worried, just curious. I know a lot about the French campaign of 1940, and you got me wondering. (Put it in a spoiler box if you want.) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/49 "2017-07-24T16:02:04Z")
I liked, it, but Ivylad didn’t. He wanted more of a set up as to how the Brits (and the French) got into that situation in the first place. Little dialogue and lots of brunette actors, so I got a little confused as to who was who. I did have a HITG moment with one actor, but no way I’ll be able to tell you which one it was (I did recognize Brannagh.) ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/50 "2017-07-24T16:03:17Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Which was…? 😕 > > Not worried, just curious. I know a lot about the French campaign of 1940, and you got me wondering. > > (Put it in a spoiler box if you want.) It wasn’t a big deal and probably doesn’t even qualify as a spoiler - I was a little unclear on exactly when the beached trawler (?) began to float, and how long it was being used as target practice - was it floating by that point? A second viewing proved none of that was ever actually shown onscreen -it just happened - so I didn’t actually miss anything. ---
**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 24, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/51 "2017-07-24T19:00:09Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > It wasn’t a big deal and probably doesn’t even qualify as a spoiler - I was a little unclear on exactly when the beached trawler (?) began to float, and how long it was being used as target practice - was it floating by that point? A second viewing proved none of that was ever actually shown onscreen -it just happened - so I didn’t actually miss anything. Aha. Never mind. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/52 "2017-07-27T02:02:26Z")
Just back from seeing _Dunkirk_ in one of the few IMAX theaters that still have 70mm IMAX film capability. It was absolutely stunning, and I had no issues at all with the Zimmer soundtrack. Not sure if it was because it was IMAX film rather than digital, or a different audio balance in this particular theater, or my own expectations, or some combination of the three, but I thought it was just great. The sound effects of the bombs and artillery fire were certainly VERY loud, but that was just an enjoyable part of the IMAX presence. [This Vox article](https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/7/19/15985474/dunkirk-explainer-format-imax-digital-70mm-35mm-buy-ticket) is a good primer on the differences between 70mm IMAX film, ordinary 70mm film, and digital IMAX. It was well worth it – too bad we missed out on the “I saw _Dunkirk_ in 70mm IMAX Film” T-shirts which were only being handed out on the opening day! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/53 "2017-07-27T06:09:32Z")
Just got home from seeing _Dunkirk_ in IMAX. Didn’t have any problem discerning the dialog, but i think that the noise level of the movie was just taking the piss, to be quite honest. I understand the desire to create an immersive experience, but there are more ways to do that than sheer volume. Maybe i’m just getting old. As for the movie itself, i tend to agree with **Elendil’s Heir** : i liked it, but would not put it in my top movies, or even my top war movies list. I didn’t mind the non-linear narrative, although some of Nolan’s choices about exactly when to place particular sections seemed rather perverse to me, as if he were deliberately trying to confuse the viewer rather than simply provide a sense of the chaos and the range of the battlefield. All that did was bring me out of the movie, rather than pull me into it. I understand **ivylass** ’s partner’s desire for more backstory, although i sort of appreciate the relatively compact length of the film, especially for a Serious War Movie[sup]TM[/sup]. Too many directors of such movies seem to think that their work of art has to run at least 150 minutes if anyone’s going to take it seriously. > [@wolfpup](#): > > …the “I saw _Dunkirk_ in 70mm IMAX Film” T-shirts which were only being handed out on the opening day! They gave those out? I’m trying to imagine how much of a tool i’d feel, walking around in a shirt that said, “I saw a movie in a particular format.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/54 "2017-07-27T07:03:14Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > They gave those out? I’m trying to imagine how much of a tool i’d feel, walking around in a shirt that said, “I saw a movie in a particular format.” Meh, I’ll never argue about a free T-shirt! 😃 Not to quibble about movie formats and T-shirts that I didn’t get anyway, but I don’t see a problem in being discerning enough to want to see a movie the way the director intended when the difference is significant. In Christopher Nolan’s estimation, the difference between IMAX film and the current IMAX digital technology is really quite significant, and I agree, let alone between IMAX film and a regular digital theater. See here, for instance (that first item is a rather insightful review, I thought) – and keep in mind that there is an additional world of difference between 70mm conventional film and 70mm IMAX film: Nolan’s camera pushes the edges of the screen as far as it can — you must see this movie in IMAX and on film, rather than digital, if at all possible — as Dunkirk engulfs the audience in something that feels a lot more like a symphony than a war movie. > **[Dunkirk turns a WWII battle into a symphony. It's Christopher Nolan's...](https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/7/17/15984026/dunkirk-review-nolan-rylance-hardy-styles-spoilers)** > > It’s no ordinary war film. Warner Bros. believed enough in projecting this film in 70mm that it bought projectors from the Weinstein Company, which Quentin Tarantino used to project Hateful Eight in 2015, and installed them in theaters around the country. In fact, Dunkirk is getting the widest 70mm release in 25 years — 125 theaters in total (including non-IMAX 70mm screenings), which is bigger than either Hateful Eight or Nolan’s last foray into 70mm, Interstellar. > **[Dunkirk is playing in a lot of formats. Here’s how each affects your viewing...](https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/7/19/15985474/dunkirk-explainer-format-imax-digital-70mm-35mm-buy-ticket)** > > Christopher Nolan’s new movie comes in IMAX, 70mm, digital, and other formats. And how you see it matters. Anyway, my main point was that I didn’t have any problem with Zimmer’s score being intrusive. The sound effects themselves were indeed often very loud, but the whole idea is for the visuals and sounds to be immersive and compelling, and quite appropriately sometimes rattling. Machine gun bullets hitting steel right next to you are not quiet gentle things. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/55 "2017-07-27T08:58:14Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > , and they were shot down like flies. Flies are incredibly difficult to shoot down. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/56 "2017-07-27T13:12:10Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > In that, they talked about musicians who score movies, and one part was about Zimmer. I didn’t know who he was, but it was interesting to learn that he was the keyboardist in The Buggles (Video Killed the Radio Star). He brings a sort of a hard rock vibe to his scores, but is also known for using strings as percussion instruments. Seeing that documentary allowed me to immediately identify the strings-as-percussion at the beginning of Dunkirk and actually appreciate his score. The movie would have been a sleeper if it had a calm, sweet score. Zimmer’s hard-pounding choice of music amplified the feeling of being in the middle of the war, and you know what? There was actually no blood and guts realism shown on the screen, but you walked out at the end feeling like you were just as shell shocked as the characters in the movie. In that way it was brilliant. Rather like the score under _The Dark Knight_’s [bank heist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9at88yAf21Y) sequence. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/57 "2017-07-27T18:15:35Z")
Article in Gizmodo about Nolan and Zimmer’s use of the “Shepard tone.” > **[The Uncanny Sound Illusion That Creates Suspense in Christopher Nolan's Movies](https://gizmodo.com/the-uncanny-sound-illusion-that-creates-suspense-in-chr-1797295094)** > > Ever notice how Christopher Nolan’s movies (Interstellar, Inception, The Prestige) feel like an anxiety attack? Well, maybe that’s overstating things a bit. But the director does have a knack for creating an unnerving degree of tension. Turns... ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/58 "2017-07-31T16:14:44Z")
I liked it but a bit less than I expected as a big Nolan fan. Unlike films like Inception and Memento, the non-linear storytelling did feel rather artificial here although the film does come together powerfully towards the end. There was obviously a decision to have very little character background and development and I am not sure that worked well either. The most conventional plotline was the one with the boat captain and the boys and I think it worked the best. I watched it on IMAX and it was a tremendous experience though I would have preferred 3D especially for the flying sequences. I am delighted the film have been a commercial success and I hope it inspires more big-budget war films by top directors. I would love to see a good Battle of Britain film with the latest 3D technology. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/59 "2017-07-31T16:55:29Z")
Time for Peter Jackson to finally get around to that _Dambusters_ remake, too. > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Article in Gizmodo about Nolan and Zimmer’s use of the “Shepard tone.” > > [The Uncanny Sound Illusion That Creates Suspense in Christopher Nolan's Movies](http://sploid.gizmodo.com/the-uncanny-sound-illusion-that-creates-suspense-in-chr-1797295094) Thanks - fascinating! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794/60 "2017-08-05T16:46:07Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Article in Gizmodo about Nolan and Zimmer’s use of the “Shepard tone.” > > [The Uncanny Sound Illusion That Creates Suspense in Christopher Nolan's Movies](http://sploid.gizmodo.com/the-uncanny-sound-illusion-that-creates-suspense-in-chr-1797295094) So really more: …bwwwwwwwWwWWAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa… WwWWAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa…bwwwwwww aaaaaaaaa…bwwwwwwwWwWWAAAAAAAAAAaa > [@Stephe96](#): > > Here’s a weird, random thought: after seeing reports that many teen girls are going to this movie solely because Harry Styles is in it, I got to wondering what his pop star equivalent would be for past generations; then it struck me - John Lennon was cast by Richard Lester in 1966’s ‘How I Won the War.’ > Is it possible Nolan cast Styles in this movie as a (very) subtle homage? Apparently Nolan cast Styles out of hundreds of potential actors and didn’t really know who he was. As for pop stars who starred in war movies: Frank Sinatra (From Here to Eternity) Elvis Presley (G.I. Blues) Harry Connick Jr (Memphis Belle) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dunkirk-bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw/791794.md?page=4)