Thoughts: Dunkirk: The IMAX Experience
Few movies deserve the IMAX treatment. At the very high cost of almost $20 a ticket, most people never get the chance to see an IMAX movie done right. Dunkirk puts its money where it should be and gives you an IMAX experience worth every penny. Christopher Nolan has crafted a cinematic masterpiece worthy of being his most perfect picture to date. The choice of casting fairly unknown actors made you feel more connected to what was going on, rather than rooting for a single character. You were cheering on everybody to make it safe and that feeling of uncertainty only elevated the film.
From the opening shot you can tell that this movie is going to tell a big story. However, it's quite the opposite, as this story is centrally focused on the beach of Dunkirk, where soldiers awaited rescue from the sea while being surrounded on all sides by the enemy. Every shot is a cinematic wonder and done with a purpose that either shows the intensity of war or the dramatic panic of a race against time.
Other important factors of this movie are the music and soundtrack. The endless ticking of the clock brought about a great sense of time running out. Not only that, but the lack of enemies on screen makes the music that more intense as you know the enemy is out there, somewhere, but without a visual clue, the audience is left with the audio cues of when danger is about to happen. Instead of a movie about war, this movie is about survival, and the soundtrack gives you the feeling of a struggle. There were no big shots of cannons or tanks, and even then, only a total of 6 planes in total through the film. This means a lack of loud battle noises and more controlled sense of dread.
Dunkirk is the IMAX experience you have been waiting for. Go see it in IMAX, as this film was made for it and utilizes both the large picture format and the booming sound system. Christopher Nolan has crafted a World War II movie about survival and the bravery of ordinary people in times of peril. Make Dunkirk the next movie you see.
- Mike