PG-13 | 1h 46m | Action, Drama, History | July 21, 2017
“Dunkirk” goes on the same shelf with “Apocalypse Now,” “Platoon,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “Braveheart.” The only difference is that those four premiere war movies contain brief flashes of levity and even fun, whereas “Dunkirk” is one long, sustained note of grim melancholy. This is not to warn you off—Christopher Nolan’s tour de force film was a must-see, a 2017 summer blockbuster, and definitely one of the best war movies ever made. You just can’t really call it entertainment, per se.
One of the many horrors of war, when the water burns, in “Dunkirk.” (Melinda Sue Gordon/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)
Should a war movie entertain? “Dunkirk” was more about being utterly transported (especially by the IMAX version) into a dire situation, and understanding viscerally why war is hell. This is accomplished with almost no gore or excessive violence—but there is a massive sense of dread. A transcendent, excellent dread. You’ll come away feeling you learned something, or at least experienced something real, if partially fictional….