I’m a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s work, so naturally, I had to catch his recently released The Odyssey on the big screen in IMAX. And so I did. But after experiencing that cinematic spectacle, I felt like revisiting some of Nolan’s older films. One of them was Dunkirk, which I saw in cinemas when it was released in 2017 and found incredibly boring. His dullest film to date, according to my ten-years-younger self. What a mistake that was!

Seeing Dunkirk in a Different Light

Recently, I took the time to watch Dunkirk again, this time on the projector in my bedroom. While the experience couldn’t quite match seeing it in a cinema, I suddenly found myself looking at the evacuation of British troops through a completely different lens. My ten-years-younger self wasn’t entirely wrong about the fact that not much happens in this film. The problem was that back then, I was still watching movies through the lens of a Hollywood blockbuster. Now that I’m a few years older and wiser, I’m finally beginning to appreciate just how layered this film really is.

A Brilliant Cinematic Puzzle

Throughout its runtime of just over an hour and a half, I was completely immersed in the experience. The three different storylines unfold alongside one another, and the chronology doesn’t always line up. I completely missed that detail when the film was first released, but it adds another dimension to the viewing experience, turning the film into something of a puzzle. Brilliant! Also the acting by a young Barry Keoghan, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy are phenomenal.

Giving Films a Second Chance

All of this makes Dunkirk a film that never lets you go, even for a second. Man, I absolutely loved watching it. And it’s a little disappointing to realise just how superficially and one-dimensionally I viewed a film like this back then. At the same time, it opens the door to so many possibilities. Because what’s more rewarding than giving a film a second chance or learning to appreciate a classic all over again?

I can’t wait to get started!

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