Saw a 9.3 rating on imdb and was very excited to watch it. Left the theater very underwhelmed. Not a bad movie, but nowhere close to 9.3.

Maybe a 7.9 in my book.

I was somewhat mixed about it.

On the one hand, it was incredibly intense from beginning to end and unlike any war movie I've ever seen. More like a horror movie with the Nazis as the killer.

On the other hand, there wasn't any real emotional connection with any of the characters. Idk if I can even remember anyone's name. And it was hard to hear a lot of the dialogue, with characters mumbling lines over the loud ass music.

I'd still def recommend it, but don't expect your life to be changed or anything.

Agree with everything here.

I'll admit that I'm not completely up on all of the details surrounding the real life events, but how do you make a compelling movie about an evacuation?

bingo. Nolan's streak of emotionally sterile movies continues.

Haven't seen it yet, but it does sound as if it's basically a fairground ride, and the 1958 movie Dunkirk, made by Ealing Studios under the great producer Michael Balcon, with John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee, is probably better -- relatively low-budget, but character-driven.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051565/

Though I was quite pleased to see from the trailer and publicity that Nolan's film does feature a Blenheim bomber appearing overhead. Technically it's the wrong kind of Blenheim, a shortnose MkI instead of the correct longnose MkIV, but not many people will notice, and as it's the only flying Blenheim in the world they didn't have much choice. The Blenheims were over Dunkirk every day, 50 to 80 at a time, bombing the Germans on the perimeter to hold them back, and my uncle Lawrence, then serving with No.21 Squadron, was flying one of them. (He was killed in action leading the Blenheims of No.107 Squadron against a Bremen U-boat factory, at zero feet, in daylight, on 4 July 1941.)

I agree about the emotional connection except for maybe the man on the boat and Tom Hardy.

Didn't know what was going on at every point of the film, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

Same way you can make a movie about a prison break, I suppose. The Great Escape... The Shawshank Redemption...

Here's the US trailer for the '58 film.

Had chills the entire movie. It's not perfect by any means but good lord the movie flew by. Almost didn't want it to end. I was really engrossed in it the entire movie. A movie hasn't sucked me in like that in a long time. It has some flaws i.e. - I couldn't tell you a single characters name and there is basically zero character development. But it's almost as if that didn't matter. It was more of an experience than a movie. And I loved it. The mood of the entire movie gave me anxiety, but in a good way.

yeah comparing this to other war movies that show the emotion of war or that war is hell w/blood guts violence etc seems to be wrong. There wasn't much character development because he is showing the panic and anxiety of war.

I quite liked it, although the volume was turned up to 11 and I had a mild headache going in.

Was the same in my theatre. I think it's just the movie. It's quite possibly the loudest movie I've ever seen. But, i think it really added to the atmosphere of the movie. Sound effects and music score alike.

cant even believe they started a thread for this movie, thankfully they got recliner seats able to take a nap

You took a nap? Damn man you need to get your hearing checked

Another +1 to this.

I felt almost exactly the same. Very tense quick pace short run time but overall probably not a life changing film. 7/10

Well duh yeah.

Whose life changes from watching a film?

I mean besides flat-earthers and conspiritards, etc.

Yeah watched it and felt it was somewhat disappointing.

Beautifully shot and some intense moments but zero character and plot development, so it was hard to get emotionally invested. Compare to Saving Private Ryan, for example.

I'm a huge Nolan fan BTW.

Okay maybe life changing was a bit hyperbolic. It feels forgettable, I doubt I'll watch it again and I have rewatched every Nolan movie save insomnia, which I did not like

Ok cinephiles,

Despite the mixed reviews in this thread I'm going to see Dunkirk anyway. I'm in Montreal for the week and i have 2 screening options. 70mm on a standard screen or regular print on an Imax (not Imax laser) screen. Leaning towards the Imax for immersiveness but I could be swayed.

Go to this one: Montreal – Cinema Banque Scotia 13 (15/70 mm, 3D).

The format is worth it.

People who complain about character development are completely missing the mark, IMO. The whole movie, I thought to myself: I have read about Dunkirk multiple times, but this movie lets me experience it. It's an amazing experience in 70mm Imax (don't sit too far back), but probably won't be anywhere near as good on Bluray at home. It's like the idea of the unknown soldier's grave, that most countries have. You're not meant to connect with any one soldier, you're meant to connect with the unknown young man sent to war and ****ed on a beach waiting for, hoping for salvation, without knowing if it's coming, while you know only the remnants of the French Army are between you and the might of the German one.

Yeah, I feel like people who didnt like the movie just didnt get it or were expecting a typical war movie so they werent impressed. If he wanted character development, he prolly would have included more than 100 lines of script.

Nolan specifically said he didn't want to make it like Saving Private Ryan in an interview.

Somewhat condescending.

No, considerable elements of the British Army were fighting on the perimeter. (And considerable numbers of those British troops were murdered after capture by the Nazis.)

You don't. He didn't.

I don't know if it was intentional or not, but he made the Brits look somewhat like pussies. Especially after seeing the Band of Brothers segments on Bastogne.

BTW, I saw it in IMAX. Yawn. First time I've seen IMAX. I guess I expected it to be close to Omnimax, but it wasn't.