The Film Thread

[Tredman]

I don't see it as unfair. Just another attention seeking bellend on the interweb.

 

[Alan]

Have you seen the film Alan? I apologise if you have, but I can't be arsed scrolling back.

Aye. It was very entertaining but I think it's been a tad overblown. Immaculate cinematography but I didn't see enough in the way of character development to really call it "great". I've had a similar issue with almost every Nolan film. He has good ideas and good stories but then doesn't really fill them with interesting characters.

 

[darlowolf64]

Aye. It was very entertaining but I think it's been a tad overblown. Immaculate cinematography but I didn't see enough in the way of character development to really call it "great". I've had a similar issue with almost every Nolan film. He has good ideas and good stories but then doesn't really fill them with interesting characters.

It was a story surrounding about 10 people over a 24 hour period and not a factually correct, historically accurate telling of the Dunkirk "miracle".

Let's for arguments sake say that there was a hypothetical scene in the film where 5 soldiers from an Indian battalion were trapped on a stranded boat and they, in desperation, tried to shoot a French soldier because they didn't think he should be there. Do you feel there would be an outcry for portraying the Indian soldiers as "barbaric" and the film maker would then be accused of racism?

 

[leedswolf]

Aye. It was very entertaining but I think it's been a tad overblown. Immaculate cinematography but I didn't see enough in the way of character development to really call it "great". I've had a similar issue with almost every Nolan film. He has good ideas and good stories but then doesn't really fill them with interesting characters.

So you have no issues with the historical inaccuracies?

 

[leedswolf]

Well I'm not sure how four companies of the Royal Indian Army not appearing in the film (they were on the beach during the battle) just happens. What, could Nolan's unfathomable budget for the movie not have afforded to at least stick RIA uniforms on a column of extras?

Or the Cypriot Muleteers for that matter.


<pedantalert>

There were 3 companies on the beaches, the other was captured by the Germans during the retreat.

 

[Langers]

Aye. It was very entertaining but I think it's been a tad overblown. Immaculate cinematography but I didn't see enough in the way of character development to really call it "great". I've had a similar issue with almost every Nolan film. He has good ideas and good stories but then doesn't really fill them with interesting characters.

I didn't think it needed deep character development TBH - it was more about the experience of the situation seen from different viewpoints. There was bugger all in the way of backstory, but that would have only got in the way of the primary focus. The individual characters responded to what was happening in various different ways which was both believable and engaging, so in that sense I think it worked and it wasn't to the detriment of the film.

It's the best sound I can remember in any film I've ever seen - a film you have to witness on the big screen.

 

[PPB]

Well not that my view counts for shit and not going to say anything that hasn't already been said, but I thought it was superb. In the words of Langers, it was 'spectacular '. It really is. The sound is amazing, the music haunting and the whole thing fills you with emotion. Was a little surprised at the lack of talking, but really, many words weren't really needed. Also the length of the film is spot on. A superb film in my eyes.

 

[Langers]

Agree with all of that. There wasn't much to say TBH and it added to the incredible sense of fear and dejection the men must have felt.

 

[leedswolf]

I didn't think it needed deep character development TBH - it was more about the experience of the situation seen from different viewpoints. There was bugger all in the way of backstory, but that would have only got in the way of the primary focus. The individual characters responded to what was happening in various different ways which was both believable and engaging, so in that sense I think it worked and it wasn't to the detriment of the film.

It's the best sound I can remember in any film I've ever seen - a film you have to witness on the big screen.

Well not that my view counts for shit and not going to say anything that hasn't already been said, but I thought it was suberb. In the words of Langers, it was 'spectacular '. It really is. The sound is amazing, the music haunting and the whole thing fills you with emotion. Was a little surprised at the lack of talking, but really, many words weren't really needed. Also the length of the film is spot on. A superb film in my eyes.

Agreed.

 

[Alan]

So you have no issues with the historical inaccuracies?

I can hold the racial undertones to the fire but still enjoy the bits that did make it into the film.

I'm not convinced that Nolan whitewashed anything consciously.

 

[leedswolf]

I'm not convinced that Nolan whitewashed anything consciously.

Me too.

To snapshot 24 hours in the 8 day duration of the evacuation is always going to be difficult.

 

[Alan]

Me too.

To snapshot 24 hours in the 8 day duration of the evacuation is always going to be difficult.

Yep.

This is something that gets lost a lot when discussing racial issues. A lot of what makes up racist behavior is much more subtle and much less intentional than someone literally telling someone to go back to Africa or anything like that.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Yep.

This is something that gets lost a lot when discussing racial issues. A lot of what makes up racist behavior is much more subtle and much less intentional than someone literally telling someone to go back to Africa or anything like that.

Oh the irony...

 

[Langers]

Oh the irony...

What do you mean by this, Frank?

 

[Johnny75]

I can hold the racial undertones to the fire but still enjoy the bits that did make it into the film.

I'm not convinced that Nolan whitewashed anything consciously.

I must be lost then as yesterday that's exactly what I thought you were inferring. And that's certainly what the author of the piece you quoted levelled at Nolan.

Anybody would think you are rowing back from your position.

 

[Alan]

I must be lost then as yesterday that's exactly what I thought you were inferring. And that's certainly what the author of the piece you quoted levelled at Nolan.

Anybody would think you are rowing back from your position.

No, anybody would think you applied Singh's views directly to me.

There were oversights in the film that I wonder how they could have been made without someone intentionally making a decision, but that does not mean that those decisions were made out of malice towards the non-white Allies that were at Dunkirk. That doesn't make those decisions faultless, however.

 

[Alan]

.

 

[Langers]

Oh the irony...

What do you mean by this, Frank?

Frank - can you respond to this please?

 

[leedswolf]

No, anybody would think you applied Singh's views directly to me.

There were oversights in the film that I wonder how they could have been made without someone intentionally making a decision, but that does not mean that those decisions were made out of malice towards the non-white Allies that were at Dunkirk. That doesn't make those decisions faultless, however.

To suggest that the intention of the film was to paint a deliberately racist view from the director is completely absurd. Who the British prioritised should be evacuated is clearly shown in the film.

 

[Alan]

To suggest that the intention of the film was to paint a deliberately racist view from the director is completely absurd. Who the British prioritised should be evacuated is clearly shown in the film.

I've not said that it was intentionally racist.

My view is, shall we say, more moderate than Singh's, but I still find her article interesting and worth reading.