Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in. The story unfolds on land, sea and air. RAF Spitfires engage the enemy in the skies above the Channel, trying to protect the defenseless men below.
Meanwhile, hundreds of small boats manned by both military and civilians are mounting a desperate rescue effort, risking their lives in a race against time to save even a fraction of their army. Surrounded by German artillery. Hunted by German pilots circling in the skies above.
Hitler and his Nazi thugs have taken much of continental Europe and if they massacre the men stuck in Dunkirk, England will be next. That's when the British Navy launches an impossible rescue mission. Commandeering hundreds of small civilian boats capable of navigating shallow waters to rescue as many soldiers and sailors as they possibly can. Churchill hopes for 30, survivors. Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is the story -- told from three distinct point-of-views and timelines -- of how the fight to save 30, grew into , The Mole , aka POV 1, takes place over the course of one week and follows two young soldiers who will do anything to escape Dunkirk, even if it means cheating and lying and sneaking.
Kenneth Branagh is also featured in this POV as the highest-ranking British officer in Dunkirk, a man trapped deciding who lives and dies. The Sea , aka POV 2, takes place over the course of one day and follows a civilian fishing boat captain, his son, and his deckhand, as they race across the English Channel to rescue the men trapped at Dunkirk.
The Air , aka POV 3, takes place over the course of one hour and follows two Air Force Pilots charged with protecting as many boats and aircraft as they can before they run low on fuel and have to return home. All of these POVs are a rollercoaster ride of perilous journeys and life-n-death moral quandaries. With three interwoven timelines, edge-of-your-seat action set-pieces, and grand cinematography, Dunkirk is simultaneously one of the most classical and experimental blockbusters I've ever seen.
