Way back in 1952, Rene Clement directed Jeux Interdits, a French war film. It was based on Francois Boyer's novel of the same title. The film captures the horrors of the war as it disrupts everyday life, traumatizes children and kills innocence. What happens on a macro cosmic scale in war torn Europe, is reflected in the micro cosmic reality of the central protagonists: Paulette and Michel Dolle. As audience, we live the moments through these two characters. Music overpowers the narrative and haunts one for days. Very similar tonal quality can be sensed in Christopher Nolan's war film: Dunkirk (2017). It is amazing how both Clement and Nolan bring out the essence of human grit, basic survival instinct and an underlining sense of guilt that engulfs us all when we approach: war.
For a war movie, Dunkirk is actually eye pleasing. There is hardly any blood to be seen. The beach, water, sky, cliffs all have been shot spectacularly. Yet, we know this is not a holiday experience. The ominous music never lets us forget that this is a war zone. Christopher Nolan narrates from three perspectives : The mole (one week), the sea ( one day) and the air (one hour). As the events in these narratives overlap and play themselves out, a grand narrative is being presented to us and that becomes Dunkirk.
Is the movie historically accurate? Maybe not. Major problem areas have been left untouched. But the aim of the story teller is to make us aware of the inner landscapes of the stranded soldiers and civilians that help them out. Their desperation broods over the entire story.
It is amazing how Nolan makes his characters individual and general at the same time. While we know their predicament in the present, we hardly know their past or what happens to them after Dunkirk. All we can manage to fathom is what they experience in that precise moment. So we have Tommy and Gibson put a wounded man on a stretcher and rush to a ship evacuating the wounded soldiers. As they are denied passage onto the ship, they cling to the mole. However, the same wounded man is forgotten and left on board as the ship sinks.
The shell shocked soldier whose desperate attempts to turn the boat around, render George blind and fatally wounded. Yet, Mr Dawson sees reason and continues to stir towards France. It is the quintessential duty first spirit shown by Mr Dawson that keeps us engaged.
The skirmish between the enemy and the RAF spitfire pilots Farrier, Collins and their squadron leader becomes race against time and a fast depleting fuel tank. The final surrender by Farrier as he lands on the shore having used up the last drop of fuel to bring down the enemy aircraft is pure determination.
What makes the movie so intense is scenes such as the blind man welcoming the exhausted, relieved and guilt ridden troupes as they come home after being rescued by civilian ships. The children, on the railway tracks, as they appear so far off from the gruesome war. And eventually, the newspapers as they cheer for victory as well as call Dunkirk,(as Churchill did), a colossal disaster.
As a war movie the film might fall short. But, it more than makes up as a film that shows us an undying spirit for survival. It acknowledges that courage and desperation are both very real. Christopher Nolan makes us relive the Dunkirk times.
Nice capture of the essence of the film... well done. But I think you have just wrapped it up in haste.. write full... write more and of course, keep writing.... also write in Marathi.
ReplyDeleteAs always, I never wrap my writing well. But I will keep that in mind and work on it. I do write in Marathi. You might find a few posts in this blog too.
Delete