But.
I saw Dunkirk. And it was pretty damn good.
First Impressions
Dunkirk has been described as “Not your father’s war epic”, and that description is apparent within the first few minutes. I enjoy war movies; Black Hawk Down is one of my all-time favorites. But Dunkirk is a war movie that looks, feels, and sounds like an indie art film…albeit a $100 million dollar one. It’s a war movie stripped bare, reduced to the essentials but no less a powerful and poignant story. There’s little dialogue, exposition or explanation. A few subtitles reveal the plot-the British army has been forced to retreat to the French beach of Dunkirk and needs to be evacuated across the English Channel.
That’s all you’re told. A lot of reviews were really negative because of it; people found it to be, and I quote, “A truly boring and tedious movie”. And initially I too was really confused and frustrated. You’re thrown into this moment, and immediately have a lot of questions, questions that are never really answered. But then you realize that they don’t need to be answered. Dunkirk is not a movie about history, or the politics or mechanics of war. It’s not even about the characters and their stories or motivations. It’s simply a snapshot, a brief portrayal of man’s attempt to survive a terror-inducing situation. It’s an exploration of bravery, and cowardice. Once you accept that, you can appreciate the film for the gorgeous and moving experience that it is.
One of these guys is in One Direction, apparently. No idea who. Source
Other Reasons why Dunkirk is great
It has Kenneth Branagh being Kenneth Branagh-levels of awesome. He gets all the medals for bravery, and I might have tossed my bra at the TV as well.
He sees that bra a-coming…or maybe German dive bombers. Source
Tom Hardy, though (as Nikki L pointed out to me) once again cast in a role that mostly hides his face, still manages to look broody and brave and beautiful.
It’s hauntingly gorgeous. Like I said, it looks like an indie art film. Long shots of vast beaches. Long shots of soaring planes. Long shots of men staring out into the ocean. The cinematography is pure artwork.
So if Dunkirk wins for Best Picture, which I fully support and not only because it’s the only nominee I’ve seen, I will totally understand the hype. I will also feel just the tiniest bit elitist-slash-pretentious. Don’t judge. Just let me enjoy it, it doesn’t happen very often.
SHUT UP GURL you’re worth like $110 million. Source
Did you think Dunkirk was Oscar-worthy? Or were you Team “Truly Boring And Tedious”? There are no wrong answers. But there are more pretentious ones.
Read all our Oscar Watch coverage on TN!
