kellym40 film review

War is depicted on a grand scale in ‘Dunkirk’

Rating 4/5

In viewing Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic Dunkirk, (who wrote and directed the film) I am sort of reminded of past films such as Saving Private Ryan, or more recently Lone Survivor. They say war is hell. War can be ugly. War can be  brutal no matter what time period. The action in the film is set in a time where there seems to be no hope and is shot in such a way where the audience is on the front lines the entire time because Nolan drops you there in the beginning and doesn’t let up.

A few days have passed since viewing the film and thinking about it over that period and even now as I am writing, the film has merit and it stands on its own as a cinematic achievement. I first, however, didn’t know what to think about the film. It actually caught me off guard because it time jumps, moves from one sequence to another and then back to a previous sequence and so on. It is non-linear and I just wasn’t expecting that.

The film brings emotion and true character to the story. Although somewhat slow moving in a few places in the second act, it stil stays true to the characters and brings their thoughts and emotions to the screen.

It displays the incredible events of the evacution of British and Allied soldiers, in late May and early June of 1940, who where entrapped in the harbor and beaches of Dunkirk, France by the Germans, who were making a final sweep of the Allied forces. Hoyte van Hoytema, director of cinematography, has  made the backdrops of beaches, sea, air, and land central characters within the frame of the story to provide intriguing locations and interactions among the characters who pass through sequence to sequence. And Hans Zimmer’s score is nearly breathtaking. It adds so much to the characters and story, and it underscores the tension, mood, and action of every scene. I don’t believe there was a moment where there wasn’t musical underscoring. I think that brought me in the film and helped sustain my interest.

This film was an ensemble film with no one character taking the spotlight. Fionn Whitehead, Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, and Jack Lowden portrayed some of the more prominent characters but they were part of the large ensemble who interacted magnificently among the bits and scenes that made up the crafty sequences in the film. And of course, Kenneth Branagh portrayed Commander Bolton, who was leading the evacuation from the port at the beach. You saw the emotion in his eyes and actions as he gave the orders to load the injured on the ships, all the while taking special care to realize the brevity of the situation as enemy planes flew overhead dropping bombs.

It’s not an action packed, exciting adventure film, but it is another depiction of the brutality of war and a true test of the human spirit. It is amazing what humans can do in the eyes of tragedy and harrowing events. With the music and evolving character stories, the film held my attention and allowed me to be immersed in the story. Films that go on and on with a lot of expository information that never seems to really go anywhere, loses me. Dunkirk, despite its somewhat slow character moments at times, was not one of those films.

 

kellym40 film review

‘Rabbit-Proof Fence’ offers story of the human spirit

Rating 3.5/5

The fact that Rabbit-Proof Fence is based on a true story makes the story’s central themes that much bigger. The story has elements of racism and essentially slavery and what makes those issues so prominent is the fact that it takes place in Australia. The film is a reminder of the fear and animosity the “white” man had towards the “black” man. In a screenplay written by Christine Olsen, from a book written by Doris Pilkington (the actual daughter of one of the main characters), spins a tale of hope and survival in the Australian Outback.

Set in the early 1930’s, the Australian government set forth a policy that children who were fathered by white men to the local aboriginal women (also known as half-castes) were detrimental and must be saved from a black society for fear their “white genes” would overcome them and allow them to rally the aborigines to stand up for their rights. Three children, Molly Craig (Everlyn Sampi), Daisy Craig Kadibill (Tianna Sansbury), and their cousin Gracie Fields (Laura Monaghan), are ripped from their family by a government official and taken to a type of school to prepare them for menial labor, such as domestic servants. The girls are there only for a short time before they make a daring escape to travel over 1,200 miles to return home. Kenneth Branagh plays A. O. Neville, an administrator of the relocation policies of the government, who wants to track these children to return them to the “school.” David Gulpilil plays the tracker Moodoo, who pursues the girls across the country, and also in pursuit are government authorities, most notably Constable Riggs (Jason Clarke). It is somewhat sad to see, as we are told, these relocation policies remained in effect until 1970. That is one of the things that make the movie, particularly the ending, so emotional.

On their journey, we see the vast scenery that stretches across the Australian landscape. They make it to a fence that stretches for miles and leads them home. The fence is made to keep rabbits from getting on the aborigines’ farmland, thus the title of the film. The girls travel along this fence for most of the trip. It is not until the girls begin their trek across the country that we realize the determination and hope in these girls. The trip is a long one. They do face some obstacles, but they do overcome them. For me, the film began a little slow but picked up in the second act. And once the girls began their long journey home, I was fixed on them, going through the emotional and physical journey with them.

The girls showed raw emotion that brought life into the characters. As the tracker, Gulpilil did not have much dialogue, but his use of facial expression and gestures showed his character traits of being strong-willed and determined. Branagh had a quiet, menacing charm about him with a strong determination to find the children, and Clarke displayed a sense of urgency with a higher level of energy.

This film keeps up a steady pace through most of its 94 minute run time. Directed by Philip Noyce, Rabbit-Proof Fence is filled with emotion and is a testament of the human spirit.