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Dunkirk is a 2017 movie based on true events of rescuing stranded allied troops that have been cut off and surrounded by German forces from the beaches of Dunkirk in France. Director Christopher Nolan portrays the rescues from three perspectives: sea, land and air. Together, the three forces must work together to evacuate as many survivors off the beach of Dunkirk as possible. The goal is to save as many survivors as possible to continue the fight another day.
For the 75th Golden Globe Awards, Dunkirk was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama & Best Director & Best Original Score.
The Sea
From the sea, we get the perspective of a civilian who uses his own private boat to sail across to Dunkirk to save Allied troops. As he picks up stranded survivors, we see firsthand what survivors have gone through and how they're terrified of going below deck. We also see how large ships are easy targets from enemy aircraft bombs and u-boats torpedoes.
The Land
This follows those stranded on the beach at Dunkirk. Allied troops from various different countries get treated differently when their life is on the line. The beach has one small dock that is useful for large ships, but the dock eventually gets severely damaged. It's up to the small private boats of civilians that can land closer to shore to ferry survivors home. Where possible, abandoned land vehicles are used to create a makeshift docks to more easily load small boats. Time is of the essence as German forces continue to make progress.
The Air
Often outnumbers, the few aircraft of the Allied Air Force does what it can to help protect boats from the German Air Force, who are easily picking off survivors on the beach. In addition to being outnumbered, they're often low on fuel and can only do so much to help, often sacrificing their airplanes to shoot down a few more enemy aircraft.
My Opinions After Watching Dunkirk
My opinion of Dunkirk (the 2017 movie) without having prior knowledge of the historical events is average. Ever since I saw the first trailer for it, I was admitting intrigued. I was imagining a movie like Black Hawk Down, but instead set in World War II. However, the movie moved a bit too slow for my liking. The action intense, but at the same time moved too slowly. The air-to-air combat was weak, there was only a short firefight for those on land, and the allies lost every battle at sea without putting up much of a fight.
Because the movie follows three different storylines, the movie feels slow until the storylines come together. By the end of the movie, you could sense the typical Hollywood ending, where everything comes together in a happy ending. And despite anticipating the opportunity to watch the Dunkirk, this is a movie I only plan on watching once.