Dunkirk Movie – not recommended

[CAPFlyer]

Swastikas are not banned in EU. Some countries may have individual nazi-paranoias left but it's not banned by EU...

Sorry, was speaking of the EU as the group of countries, not the quasi-governmental multi-national entity. Most of the video games industry considers the EU member states and "The EU" as one and the same. Thus, if one country that is in Europe and a member of the EU has a ban on swastikas, then for the publisher, it's the same as the whole EU having banned it. There's not enough volume to justify making special copies for the few countries or create a special e-store verification for them. Instead, they just don't put in swastikas in the first place and be done with it.

[sixgun]

Haven't seen the movie. While stationed at RAF Upper Heyford in the 70's I remember the pub in Deddington, England where the Dunkirk Society would meet every year. That little village had a dozen or so survivors. Quiet a few lives were saved on that operation.

Also remember the movie Patton, when on his way to Berlin comes upon Montgomery who was digging in. Patton asks, What are you waiting for, another Dunkirk ? lol

[bullfox]

My bottom line on Dunkirk is that it fails not only as a movie but also as an aviation and historical chronicle. It actually undersells the importance of the event, and a lot of the aviation scenes don't make sense.

[Scott - A2A]

My bottom line on Dunkirk is that it fails not only as a movie but also as an aviation and historical chronicle. It actually undersells the importance of the event, and a lot of the aviation scenes don't make sense.

Very well said Bullfox and this was my reason for writing this quick review. The opportunities were limitless and the timing was perfect to have another modern classic war movie.

To compare, I consider the 2001 release of Pearl Harbor to be a classic despite the criticism from realists it received. I recall leaving the movie theater after the first time watching it, and being slightly disappointed at that time, but turned to my friend and said "if not for anything else, you have to love this movie for the cinematography alone." Plus the dogfighting scenes were intense with beautifully captured authentic sound effects, but that movie did capture the impact and importance of the actual event. It embodied the shock of it all as well spending a good deal of time acclimating the viewer to the laid back American lifestyle that disappeared forever after that attack. The writers even had the balls to include some of the not so flattering lingo at the time which I applaud.

Scott.

[AKar]

To compare, I consider the 2001 release of Pearl Harbor to be a classic despite the criticism from realists it received.

I somehow liked that much, much worse than Pvt. Ryan, the latter not being that good either, but still pretty good as per its action scenes. A reasonably good I think was the HBO's series The Band of Brothers, whereas the Pacific theme quickly got boring. Speaking of any war movie, Das Boot is unbeatable to me.

-Esa

[speedy70]

The cruel sea was an excellent and very true film in my opinion.

Cheers Chris

[Scott - A2A]

A reasonably good I think was the HBO's series The Band of Brothers, whereas the Pacific theme quickly got boring. Speaking of any war movie, Das Boot is unbeatable to me.

Amen.

The original Band of Brothers IMO is as good as it gets. Pacific had none of the magic of the first one and I would recommend people just skip Pacific.

Das Boot - another timeless classic.

Thanks for mentioning these,
Scott.

[curt1]

I've gotta disagree with you Scott, as I've seen it twice and loved it. We do agree on 'Das Boot' though, it was superb.

[Orlaam]

A reasonably good I think was the HBO's series The Band of Brothers, whereas the Pacific theme quickly got boring. Speaking of any war movie, Das Boot is unbeatable to me.

Amen.

The original Band of Brothers IMO is as good as it gets. Pacific had none of the magic of the first one and I would recommend people just skip Pacific.

Das Boot - another timeless classic.

Thanks for mentioning these,
Scott.

Agree! BoB was amazing and I bought it for that reason, despite watching it air originally. Pacific was awful. Didn't even finish it. Kinda like The Thin Red Line, a terrible movie.

[AKar]

The original Band of Brothers IMO is as good as it gets. Pacific had none of the magic of the first one and I would recommend people just skip Pacific.

Agree! BoB was amazing and I bought it for that reason, despite watching it air originally. Pacific was awful. Didn't even finish it. Kinda like The Thin Red Line, a terrible movie.

Indeed.

What do you guys think of Eastwood's two films of Iwo Jima? I found them pretty descend, though not as good as BoB, which in my opinion used the miniseries concept really well. Given the lack of good films, they do have my thumb-up, albeit somewhat boring for similar reasons the Pacific was as well.

-Esa

[Medtner]

I rewatched Dunkirk last night.

This comes down to how one views movies and art in general. I've long found that accepting the movie for what it is and what it's trying to be is more healthy. If I wanted Dunkirk to be a movie that had something to say about the things you've mentioned above, I'd be disappointed and would have thought the film to be a wasted opportunity. I went to this film with an open mind and let it tell me what it was about.

It is not about the enemy, and furthermore it is not about a person in particular (though, as I have mentioned, it follows a number of people more closely). It is about the desperation, the horror, and the futile tries to make an escape for a home that is so close that you can almost see it. The enemy could have been a natural disaster; or a more modern time warfare with a different nationality/ideology as the enemy; it could have been a biological or technological disaster they fought.

Try watching the film again, and let the film be about what it is about. Don't expect it to be "your" film. Don't expect it to be something you've seen and loved (watch them again instead if you must have that "fix"). As excellent as Band of Brothers is, or indeed Das Boot, they are different films/series. They have different intentions.

I still recommend Dunkirk to the highest degree. It's a masterpiece, and will probably be with me for as long as I live.

[Scott - A2A]

Erik,

I think I can understand why you liked the movie because, it was well directed and acted. But I think you and maybe others are making an assumption that someone like myself who didn't like the movie didn't because we expected it to be something else. My only expectation was to leave the theater with that nice feeling you've just watched a good movie, whatever it was. That feeling came from all kinds of movies from the original Toy Story to the first Lord of the Rings to Alien to Live Die and Repeat.

As you said, it may come down to views on movies and art in general. But diving into that is a very big subject. I'm glad we can talk openly about our opinions of all kinds of things on this forum, including movies

Speaking of movies, IMO "Live Die and Repeat" is a must see movie for anyone, even if you don't like Tom Cruise.

Scott.

[Medtner]

"Live. Die. Repeat." we certainly agree on. On a human level I loathe Tom Cruise, but I think he fills those fantastic (literally fantastic) roles very well. Possibly connected to the fact that he is living it (the Scientology-thing is a fantasy-world if there ever was one).

Not to derail this thread, but one of my true loves is David Simon's "The Wire" - an HBO-show. It is such a humanistic and beautiful (and horrendous) painting of Baltimore and "the America that is left beind". It humanizes people that one is so used to see marginalized or even demonized. Life changing and learning TV-series. Also incredibly funny.

[ClipperLuna]

What do you guys think of Eastwood's two films of Iwo Jima? I found them pretty descend, though not as good as BoB, which in my opinion used the miniseries concept really well. Given the lack of good films, they do have my thumb-up, albeit somewhat boring for similar reasons the Pacific was as well.
-Esa

I liked them both, but I enjoyed Letters from Iwo Jima more. I walked away from it feeling like I got to know the main cast members, the struggles they went through, and the kinds of people they were. I didn't really get that from Flags of our Fathers. At times I found Flags boring and downright depressing, more so than Letters despite the latter being told from the side that lost the battle.

Neither was as good as BoB, which is my all time favourite telling of the war. As with Letters from Iwo Jima, I felt like got to know the GIs and their stories, without any Hollywoodesque heroism or romanticism.

[Alan_A]

I agree with Erik and disagree with Scott about Dunkirk, but that's neither here nor there.

Readers of this thread might be interested in this interview with Christopher Nolan, where he talks at length about what he set out to accomplish. You may still not like the results but it's helpful to know the intent.

I have another question. This is the second thread I've read here in a short time complaining about political correctness. The other was a "joke" thread. I'm wondering why it's OK to post about political correctness when the forum guidelines forbid discussion of politics and racism. Isn't that a bit unfair? Seems as though anyone wanting to articulate a counter-argument would run afoul of the guidelines. That doesn't seem equitable. Thought I'd mention it.