Dunkirk was a great movie, and a great war movie, but I don't think it was one of The Great War Movies.  The cinematography and the action were incredible, but it didn't have the emotional heft of something like Saving Private Ryan, The Hurt Locker, or Apocalypse Now.

Dunkirk was fast paced and incredible tense, but the quick editing robbed the film of any moments to breathe and for characters to interact or form.  That isn't to say that the editing was bad.  On the contrary, it was a fresh take on a traditional WWII setting.  But I never knew any of the characters.  I didn't care what happened to them.  I felt like I was watching pieces in a bombastic game of chess instead of a real human struggle.  Besides mild stress and pure awe at some of the set-piece moments, I didn't feel much of anything. Overall, I'd say the movie is a masterpiece in the sense of what can be put on film, and I'd absolutely recommend that you see it in IMAX.  It's a visual treat!  But I do not think it has the staying power of other, more human war films.