Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, depicts the widely renowned historic event during WW2 at Dunkerque in France which saw an allied army consisting of approximately 340 000 british and french soldiers trapped at the french beach surrounded by german forces. While under perpetual fire from the german Luftwaffe the allied forces make a miraculous escape aided by the british people.

Don't watch Dunkirk for an intricate plot with complicated characters. It offers neither. The story is straight forward and the characters are barely characters. Most of them are only distinguishable from one another through their faces. To enjoy Dunkirk fully, the viewer must not look at the characters like fictional characters but rather as different depictions of the everyday man, as the depictions of perhaps a friend or a family member. See them as real people and the horror they endure hits harder. The lack of compelling characters is a major negative but with this mindset it adds a different perspective on the film.

When the german Luftwaffe dives towards the british ships unleashing all hell upon the protagonists, is when Dunkirk shines. The large scale and the monstrous explosions adds to the immersion and realism massively. Dunkirk also shines (ironic choice of the word "shine", I know), in its gloomy, fatalistic and intense illustration of desperate soldiers fighting for their lives. It is tremendously immersive and a major positive to the movie.

Dunkirk is not a film for the faint-hearted. For the most part it is quite dark. While containing some good cinematography, beautiful shots and great technical work, Dunkirk falls short in the story department. While a storytelling device in itself, its lack of compelling characters makes it hard to fully immerse yourself in the film. I'd recommend Dunkirk to those into war movies but otherwise I reckon there are better ways to use your time.