A Reel Preview: Everything You Need to Know About DUNKIRK

One of the biggest films of the year arrives in theatres this weekend, in the form of Christopher Nolan’s WWII film, DUNKIRK. Here is everything you need to know about this highly anticipated film.

What is this all about? – In the late Spring of 1940, during World War II, thousands of Allied soldiers were stranded on the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France. Surrounded the German army and virtually defenseless, the troops were bombarded and strafed by air while being rescued, with many being rescued by civilians who took their own boats into the battle. DUNKIRK tells the story of the evacuation.

Who is behind the camera? – DUNKIRK is written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who is mostly known for his Batman series of films, THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY (2005-2012). His other credits include THE PRESTIGE (2006), INTERSTELLAR (2014), INCEPTION (2010), and MEMENTO (2000).

Who is in front of the camera? – DUNKIRK is populated with a strong cast, including Tom Hardy (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD), Cillian Murphy (BATMAN BEGINS), Kenneth Branagh (VALKYRIE), Mark Rylance (BRIDGE OF SPIES), and James D’Arcy (TV’s AGENT CARTER). It also stars Fionn Whitehead, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, and Barry Keoghan.

Random Items – Nolan came up with the idea for the film while visiting the factual Dunkirk with his wife 25 years ago * To preserve realism, DUNKIRK was filmed in the actual area of the evacuation, using ships and boats that were actually there * The story of the film is told from three perspectives; the air, land, and sea…using minimal dialogue * DUNKIRK was filmed using IMAX 65mm film, and will be presented in select locations using 70mm projection, and will be the widest 70mm release in 25 years * The score is provided by Hans Zimmer, who scored Nolan’s three Batman films * A portion of the Dunkirk evacuation was shown in the 2007 film ATONEMENT * Mark Rylance’s character bears resemblance to the real-life Charles Lightoller, who with his sons took his personal yacht into battle to rescue stranded soldiers at Dunkirk. He was also the Second Officer aboard Titanic.

What to expect? – As this Blogger has stated many times, the Second World War will never run out of stories to tell us, as it was just too big and changed too much in the world to ever run dry. The story of the Dunkirk evacuation has only been touched on in cinema, as it was an event that happened prior to the United States’ entry into the war which made it difficult for mainstream Hollywood to find a patriotic angle. The fact that the story is finally making it to the big screen is a feat within itself. And speaking of the big screen, this Blogger highly recommends the 70mm presentation. The amount of detail and richness in the picture is simply jawdropping. But after the presentation, it’s all about the movie…and director Christopher Nolan has proven himself to be one of the top directors in the game today. His films are visually and technically ambitious, and his handling of large-scale events is always impressive. Nolan has been waiting over two decades to tell us this story, and we can expect him to deliver. This has all the makings of not just a movie but an event.

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DUNKIRK arrives on July 21^st. 

Find out where to see it in 70mm HERE