Topic > Analysis of the "Britishness" of the film Dunkirk

There is no doubt that Dunkirk is indeed a British film. From the production, to the setting and the cast, everything about this film is British. However, I would like to dive even deeper into this film to analyze why it is so British. I think the way Christopher Nolan shot this film created a deeper connection and empathy for what I understood being a British soldier during the Dunkirk evacuation. Through interesting choices in narrative, shot composition, and understanding of fear, Nolan has created a film that allows the viewer to put themselves in the shoes of how they might have felt in the fight for survival that each soldier felt in that moment . no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The vast majority of films produced focus on character. Directors and writers will create specific events for characters in an attempt to make the audience care about them or connect with them. The emotional investment that audiences are able to place in a film's characters often leads to greater enjoyment and reviews. Nolan takes a more unique approach with Dunkirk. Rather than focusing on the characters that influence the plot, it focuses on the plot events that influence the characters. Now, it might seem like a subtle difference at first, but I would argue that this change is what makes this film more interesting and more British. Instead of connecting and focusing on the characters in a film, the way some scenes are shot immerses you as if you were a soldier right next to them. For example, let's analyze the evacuation scene in which the protagonists finally manage to board a house ship. If you have a keen eye you'll notice that every single shot during this scene is from the perspective of where a soldier might be. When we see the characters go down the stairs, the camera follows them as if we, the audience, were at the top of the stairs watching them. Furthermore, when they walk through the crowd, the camera follows them as if the audience is also just another soldier trying to make their way. Every shot of this scene is taken from eye level as part of the crowd looks at the main characters. This makes you feel like you are part of the British Army on that boat rather than a spectator. If these shots were taken from below or above, a detachment from the scene would be created. Instead, eye-level shots combined with the camera moving like a person would create a subconscious connection with everyone in the boat. This scene not only creates a connection with the British Army, but also conveys the emotions one might feel at that moment. boat. The preceding shots of this scene help create difficult tension. This is further reinforced by a shot through the protagonist's eyes as he watches the lower deck being locked up and then turns to see the other soldiers around him relaxing. We viewers can say that, unlike the others, the protagonist has many things going through his head. Things like: the door has been locked, so I can't get out and I'm trapped in a confined space with a group of strangers, are not only visible from the gaze of the protagonist but also cross the mind of the audience. This also serves as foreshadowing where our concerns are later confirmed when the ship is hit by a torpedo and the protagonist nearly drowns. These feelings continue throughout the film. Whether it's the fuel gauge of the pilots, or when the soldiers.