Dunkirk [Blu-ray] [2017]

This is a very good movie about an important time in England's fight against Germany in World War II. The blu-ray version is stunning.

Incredible film Dunkirk doesn’t get enough praise or attention as other war films.

Dunkirk is a great film, as long as you don't go into it, as my parents did, expecting a standard World War II story of heroism and valor in the face of a powerful evil force. Dunkirk is not a war movie; it's a survival film. And that's not to say I don't personally enjoy war movies, because I absolutely do. But Dunkirk is something else, something different. It's almost akin to an arthouse flick, but created with the budget and scale of a traditional summer blockbuster. Christopher Nolan, the director, does an excellent job of promoting a sense of anxiety and dread in the mind of the viewer. Oh boy, does he really do an excellent job of this! But Nolan does not make you care for the characters as would another director, such as Spielberg or the Coen brothers. That's not the point of this movie, or really any of Nolan's other films (with Interstellar perhaps being the sole exception). The point of the film is the atmosphere, the tension, the visceral FEELING of being trapped alongside hundreds of thousands of your fellow soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk. It's the seemingly fruitless struggle against an unspeakable, creeping darkness that cannot be stopped, much less seen or understood. Dunkirk is not about a war; it's about the sensation of war. And if you go into the film with this in mind, you will find yourself appreciating Dunkirk much more than you otherwise would.

Saw this movie on the “big screen” at the theater and enjoyed it. Nevertheless, the 4K version at home really looked great with the improved contrast, deep blacks and nice surround sound ! This is actually a gray/cloudy movie with certain scenes such as the air battles being bathed in glorious color. I viewed both the 2K (1080p) version and the 4K version in back-to-back evenings. Both were excellent cinematically and sound-wise, but of course 4K trumps 2K. What an inspiring piece of history ! So glad this 2017 version was made to depict it. Highly recommended for those that have a historical interest.

Christopher Nolan takes us through the harrowing experience of the survivors at Dunkirk - just little before the entry of America in WW2. Kenneth Branagh, Mark Rylance, Cilian Murphy, and Tom Hardy turn in top-shelf performances. The rest of the cast are relative unknowns, but who also turn in great performances. The story takes place on the shores of Dunkirk, the ships at sea who are there to rescue them, and the skies above from the RAF pilots who risked their lives for their countrymen below. It's the story of how hundreds of civilian volunteers in their own boats came forth to rescue thousands of men. Mr. Nolan takes us from edge-of-your-seat suspense as in his early films, to moments of reflection.