Blu-ray Review: Dunkirk

By John Corrado

Telling three interconnecting stories that take place on land, on the water, and in the air, to offer an absorbing portrait of the successful attempts to evacuate 400,000 mostly British soldiers who were left trapped during the Battle of Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is a brilliantly crafted WWII epic that ranks among the best movies of the year.  We were all big fans of it, and for more on the film itself, you can read our three views right here.

The Blu-ray comes with a second disc devoted entirely to bonus material, including over a dozen featurettes on the production that are divided into five sections – Creation, Land, Air, Sea, and Conclusion – with each one focusing on a different aspect of the film.  They really give us a sense of the huge amount of work behind it, from the challenges that came with shooting much of the film on gigantic IMAX cameras, to the logistics of filming on the actual beach, including having to corral thousands of extras and make sure they all had authentic costumes.

Christopher Nolan was determined to make it in the style of an old school Hollywood epic, shooting on film, building real sets on location, and utilizing practical effects whenever possible, to give it a very tactical and realistic feel.  The filmmaker was very hands on during the entire production, with a sharp eye for detail, right down to making sure that the boots were laced right.  I already thought Dunkirk was a stunning achievement beforehand, but seeing everything that went into making the film just proves it to be true.  It’s hard not to be blown away by the incredible undertaking that went into making it, and the Blu-ray comes highly recommended both for the film itself and for this bounty of bonus material that gives us an even deeper appreciation of it.

Dunkirk is a Warner Bros. Home Entertainment release.  It’s 106 minutes and rated PG.