REVIEW: DunkirkBy Quinn OxleyJuly 22, 2017IMDb, Metascore, Rotten Tomatoes, and critics everywhere are saying that this is Nolan’s “best work.”

Christopher Nolan is one of my all-time favorite directors. Inception and The Prestige are mainstays of my all-time top-ten due in large part to his impeccable writing and directing. There are few who do not acknowledge his Batman films as the best in the hero’s silver screen history. Nolan has more than made his mark on modern film; saying something is his best work isn’t like saying something is M. Night Shyamalan’s best work or that something is the best X-Men movie. There’s not only actual competition, but stiff competition. And a lot of it.

I can’t rightly say this is Nolan’s “best work.”

I can say a lot of wonderful things about it, but a man who made six of the most memorable films of all time (Inception, The Prestige, Memento, and the Dark Knight trilogy) has too weighty of a legacy to have this be considered his best.

But that’s not so say it’s not amazing.

Just so I don’t sound like a hypocrite, let me say that Dunkirk took a very similar narrative approach to Valerian. The key difference is that Dunkirk did it intentionally; there is very little character development, especially in the lead character, because the film is not about the character’s story. The result still feels lacking, but in this case, it’s much, much more excusable.

Dunkirk is perfectly atmospheric. In particular, the sound design is simply monstrous, and the score really rushes you and messes with your mind. The auditory elements excel at piercing the heart with genuine fear. They don’t just create tension; they instill terror. I’ve covered three or so horror movies this year, and Nolan’s latest work is by far more disturbing than all of them. Although it fell short in the dialogue department, the sounds of the world make real the nihilism of war.

The film is also stunningly, expertly shot; Dunkirk’s shot composition and camerawork is something to fall in love with.

Truly, this is way more of a sensory experience than a character piece or a war narrative. We all know the general premise, even if the characters don’t speak much and they’re hard to understand: these men are just trying to get home.

Nolan’s best work? Agh, I can’t sign my name to that statement. But another incredible film in Nolan’s remarkable filmography? Absolutely.

Rating: 7.5/10

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